WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester's many parks offer people a place to relax and get some sunshine, but those who frequent them often have to navigate gaggles of geese and the feces they leave behind.

As springtime brings more people out to places like Elm Park, University Park and Institute Park, the Department of Inspectional Services is looking for a talented canine to help keep geese at bay. 

"These border collies are used to herd the geese, they chase the geese," said Chief Sanitary Inspector Michael Berberian. "They don't hurt the geese, they chase them off the beaches or out of the parks. They do this all year round."

Berberian said this service comes in handy, particularly during the summer when beachgoers are often navigating goose feces on the shore. 

His department recently put out an invitation for bidders to help provide goose control services at city beaches, parks, golf courses and cemeteries, but before you start unleashing Rocky, Max or Charlie on a gaggle of unsuspecting geese, you should know the city is specifically looking for trained border collies and an owner who has a proven track record of doing this sort of work in a humane way.

"You open up your own company, and have to take, I'm assuming, some courses and education on how to treat the geese," Berberian said. "There are a lot of aspects involved. We don't just hire someone to chase the geese away, they also help with addling the geese eggs. They have certain areas they have to hit throughout the city, and it's usually every day."

These goose-hazing dogs are part of a larger population control program the city has used since 2006, which also focuses on educating people not to feed geese and using a process known as 'addling' to trick geese into not laying eggs. 

So, if you're someone like Worcester resident Duane Noyes who doesn't mind a few geese in the park, rest assured, there won't come a day they all suddenly disappear. 

"We come down here every day, me and my fiancé," Noyes said. "We take pictures, and they're a lot of fun to hang around. I don't know if they're a nuisance to the people in this neighborhood or anything, but for us, it's just a good time to come down and enjoy the animals."

However, without the city's population control program, there would certainly be a larger goose population and more problems to contend with. 

"It would be very difficult," Berberian said. "People wouldn't be able to enjoy the park without stepping into feces. There would be a lot of issues, especially with airplanes leaving and coming to the airport... We do our best in the city here, it's been a great program for the past 18 years."