Geese-chasing dogs facing challenge in Babylon

Babylon Town employees Sadie and Kona never complain about working for free or being outside in all kinds of weather.

But the canines, who are among about a dozen dogs who work with their owners to chase geese for the town's Waterfowl Management Control Program, face a challenge Babylon officials worry could escalate into real danger for both humans and their best friends.

Residents who illegally bring their dogs into town parks and onto beaches often cause confrontations and prevent the dogs from doing their work, officials and workers say.

“We’ve put up a lot of signs and our public safety officers try to help as much as they can but it is a challenge for us,” said Rich Groh, the town’s chief environmentalist.

The dog handlers wear reflective vests that identify them as town workers and have placards for their cars, but some people “just don’t care,” Groh added.

Terence McSweeney, 74, of North Babylon, started working for the town with his German shepherd, Sheena, five years ago after retiring from his firefighting job.

But Sweeney, whose son Terence is a town councilman,  said he decided to leave the job last fall after having one too many confrontations with dog owners who would get nasty and aggressive with him.

“It started to get more frequent and it got to be too much for me after a while,” McSweeney said. “I finally said it’s not worth it.”

Geese droppings can be a nuisance to those stepping in them but also create a water quality problem for the town, polluting the bay and other bodies of water with bacteria, according to Groh.

Now in its 15th year, the geese chasing program is “not 100% effective” because the birds eventually return, but conditions are “way better” than they would be without the canine interventions, he said.

To qualify, dogs must be obedient, in good physical shape, have a current town dog license and up-to-date vaccinations and be neutered. The owners, who get paid minimum wage, must also be in excellent physical condition.

“When we’re interviewing people, we’re interviewing the dog too,” Groh said.

But sometimes, having a very good dog on the job isn't enough to prevent friction with park and beach patrons.

Helene Linden, 59, of Brightwaters, and her springer spaniel, Sadie, and chocolate Labrador retriever, Kona, have worked for the town for more than five years. She said she has encounters with other dog owners daily, with some “really bad interactions” at times.

“It’s hard because it becomes very confrontational,” said Linden, a retired speech pathologist. She added that the other canines “make it impossible for my dog to do its job.”

In 2023, the town issued 16 tickets for dogs being “at large” but only one of those tickets was issued at a town park, according to Babylon officials.

Linden said the town doesn’t have enough manpower to respond to all of the infractions quickly. 

“This is the downside, it’s a hard thing to control,” Linden added. “But the good parts far outweigh the downsides.”