By Bhargav Acharya
TORONTO, June 25 (Reuters) – Border collies Ben and Sally have a special mission for the World Cup in Toronto: keeping the notorious Canada geese off the training pitch used by visiting teams to prepare for their games.
It is hard work that needs to be done twice a day, five days a week, while being on standby if the birds decide they would like some football action at the facilities in Centennial Park in the northwest corner of the city.
But Ben and Sally are always up for the task.
“They’re absolutely perfect work companions. They will work from (dawn till dusk) and still be wanting to go in the evening when we finish work,” said Gareth Williams, the owner of Border Control Bird Dogs, a goose management agency contracted for the job.
Williams explained why the birds, which are protective and sometimes aggressive — with a reputation for occupying green spaces near airports and parks — are a problem for organizers of the global showpiece event.
“It’s very important to keep the soccer fields clear, because goose feces actually carry disease, which would obviously be bad for everybody. It also actually burns the turf, so it would cause the playing surface not to be as good,” he said.
Eight-year-old Ben is easygoing and a veteran at the job. He is always on the lookout for a goose.
Sally, who is 2-1/2 years old, is on work mode the moment she dons a hi-vis vest, says her handler Spencer Jones. But he has no complaints.
“It’s our first year working together, but the bond between her and (me)… it’s grown so rapidly, and we’ve become an awesome team working at FIFA (World) Cup,” Jones said.
While the agency has been helping manage goose population at green spaces including cemeteries, hospitals and golf courses in the province of Ontario for years, the dogs have brought special attention during the World Cup.
“It’s actually been a breath of fresh air to have the chance to make people aware of what we do,” Williams said.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya, Kyaw Soe Oo and Imad Creidi in Toronto; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
