Business

When Bill Edwards was about to leave the U.S. Army after a 12-year-career he never would have guessed that it would lead to operating a business where he'd chase geese away.

A former infantryman with a degree in Human Environmental Science, Edwards had many options that would allow him a good livelihood once he entered into civilian life. One option that caught his eye was entrepreneurship, a word that Edwards himself says he'd never heard until that moment.

As he looked into that option, Edwards learned that one path would be to open a franchise. This was a path that Edwards balked at since, to his knowledge, franchise equaled fast food which was a market which he had no interest in. But when he learned of the wider world that word encompassed Edwards found one franchise that caught his eye.

Geese Chasers has a simple business, to get rid of geese that are being a nuisance in a particular area. First opened in 1999, Geese Chasers has opened locations across the country in states like Alabama, Georgia, and New Jersey to name a few. The company has also been profiled on various national news media as well as shows like Animal Planet.

The method used by Geese Chasers is to use trained dogs, specifically border collies, to chase the geese away from beaches, lakes, and various public areas when they become a nuisance. According to Edwards, border collies are preferred because they can mimic the pattern of natural predators which the geese's natural sense of danger is attuned to. Border Collies are also herding dogs so they'll just chase the geese instead of hunting them down.

This method of dispersing the geese is considered safe and humane because they don't hunt the birds down to eliminate them, in spite of the fact of the potential issues they can cause.

Edwards has found enjoyment in his line of work after the military, he enjoys taking Anna-Liz, his three-year-old border collie, out to chase the geese The company purchased from a dog breeder and paired her with Edwards. Geese Chasers trained Anna-Liz and took to commands well. She's also a strong swimmer and is battle-tested, indicated by a small scar on her bottom lip.

Edwards takes the opportunity to engage with the public and explains the value of a company like his, especially when it comes to public health.

"Imagine that the geese are in the parking lot of a food processing plant, they mess up the area and people walk into work despite all that mess and now there's a potentially national health concern that's happening. We go in there and chase the geese off and make sure that won't happen."

Edwards and Anna-Liz currently cover the Northern Virginia area and can be hired to get rid of geese wherever they may be a nuisance. In addition to getting rid of the geese, Geese Chasers will also remove eggs from the area.

"When geese find a place that they haven't been shooed away from, they tend to nest in those areas," says Edwards. "Once we chase the geese out we find the eggs and remove them from the area so they don't come back."

Sharita Rouse in the Manassas Woman of the Year.