Province birds going to dogs

Ducks, geese, coots, herons and other waterfowl can be beautiful to look at, but a bother and even a health concern when they gather in large numbers.

So, the community of Province has turned to the aid of another animal to rid it of the unusually high number of birds taking up residence in the communities’ large lakes and ponds.

Community Manager Shelley Reith contracted with Circle L Stock Dogs, of Chandler, to assist in trying to convince the birds to find other lodging.

Circle L has been using stock dogs to help control its own herd of cattle.

“We try to keep all of our stock on pasture,” said Circle L’s Wendy Larson. “These dogs were mainly used to move the cattle from one pasture to the other. They run them through the chutes and help load them in the trucks.”

The cattle respond better to the dogs than to cowboys, Larson said.

“They’re basically our foremen,” she said. “And they’re some of the best you can have because a dog can usually take the place of four cowboys. The cows respect the dogs so much more, and the dogs are so much quicker.”

Larson began using the dogs on her own ranch to control birds eating the seed planted in the pastures. It worked. She also supplies stock dogs to other operations.

Enter Province, which has had an on-going battle with the fowl and decided to give Circle L a chance.

As dozens of community residents watched from the banks of the waterways and even the balcony of the clubhouse in late January, Larson and her troops went to work.

With assistants Babette Klaus and Travis Kadding each controlling one of the stars of the show, Larson, and the others, fanned out to form almost a military pincer movement, coming at the birds from three directions.

The dogs were, indeed, the stars. Five-year-old Riggs, 1-year-old Gibbs and 5-month old rescue dog Socks reveled in the chance to dive into the water at the simple command of “get the birds.”

The idea is to harass the birds enough they decide to move elsewhere. The operation is completely humane and approved by PETA and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

On this day the operation began in a small waterway south of the clubhouse, with the dogs chasing the birds to the large lake bounded by Smith-Enke Road. Then it was over to that side where hundreds of waterfowl were gathered on the shore, and in the water, near the road. The pincer movement again scattered the birds which flew off in a variety of directions.