From December through February, dogs were allowed off-leash on the east side of Ann Morrison Park. Park managers hoped canines would make geese feel a little less welcome, reducing droppings and turf damage.
Did it work? Goose counts and anecdotal evidence suggest it helped keep numbers down, but snow cover and frigid January temperatures likely accounted for low numbers of geese in several parks that month, a Fish & Game official said.
How many in 2012 compared with 2011? October: 386 in 2012, 469 in 2011; November: 1,623/893; December: 1,703/703; January: 485/10; and February: 423/372.
What did people say? "We had a number of positive comments from citizens and dog owners regarding being able to exercise their dogs, and the parks being more user-friendly with less geese and droppings," Parks Superintendent Tom Governale said.
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