Bucks groundskeeping staff
solved a Canadian geese problem
by getting a campus dog.
Her name is Gerty, and the 3-
year-old dog helps keep campus
walkways clear of goose poop by
chasing the geese away.
“Gerty comes everyday. She
also kind of works for the college.
Before I started bringing her
we had a big problem with geese,
and that’s why we got her, to help
chase the geese away,” said
Director of Buildings and
Grounds Services Martin Snyder.
Snyder has worked for Bucks
for 13 years and brings two dogs,
Gerty and Della, along when he
works. Gerty, a black and white
and very well behaved dog, runs
freely, while Della her younger
brown and white companion
stays leashed to the golf cart.
Staff members at Bucks have
noticed a significant improvement
since Snyder started bringing
Gerty along.
“He’s had Gerty for probably
the last three years. The dog has
eliminated the goose problem for
us so that worked out,” said Mark
Moore, who has worked for
Bucks security for six years.
“Bucks is kind of Gerty’s home
away from home,” said Snyder.
“One of the reason’s I got Della
is so that Gerty would have some
company,” said Snyder.
Della, the 4-month-old puppy,
is still being trained.
Gerty and Della may very well
become unofficial mascots around
campus. The dogs are very
friendly and approachable.
“I remember these two,” said a
student who passed by. “They’re
adorable,” said another who
stopped to pet them.
Some students were surprised to
learn that we have dogs on campus.
“I’ve never seen the dogs,” said
21-year-old Erich Kaiser, a liberal
arts major from Levittown.
Students who knew about the
dogs seemed to think they were a
good idea.
“It’s a good thing because it will
help monitor the geese filth,” said
18-year-old nursing student Kelly
Kitel.
“I’ve seen at least one dog on
campus, and I think it belongs to
the groundskeeper. I think it is a
good idea to have them to keep
the geese away,” said Katie Denton,
22, a liberal arts major from
Doylestown.
“Gerty and Della are fun to have
with me at work and it’s probably
better than having them caged
up,” said Snyder.
Look for Snyder and his dogs
out and about at Bucks.
“I would stop and pet them, but
I wouldn’t want to distract them
since they’re here to do a job,”
said 20-year-old Tori Frey, a
graphic design major from Upper
Black Eddy.
Even students who are a little
apprehensive when it comes to
dogs are fond of Gerty and Della.
“I don’t know, some dogs, like
big dogs, are kind of scary, you
don’t know if they’ll attack you.
“The kind of dogs we have on
campus aren’t scary though,
they’re alright,” said Joe
Burghardt, 20, a graphic design
major from Levittown.