A Wild Goose Chase: Running With the Working Dogs of Governors Island

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For most employees on Governors Island, summer is the busiest time of the year. But two of those workers have enjoyed a quieter, less hectic season: Aspen and Reed, who are dogs.

Their job is to shoo flocks of geese away from the island’s expansive lawns — often on an overnight shift — but there are typically fewer geese in the dog days of summer than in the colder times of year.

Then, in exchange for a treat, he agreed to hop back into a golf cart with Governors Island Caretaker Tristan Mariner. Reed stood on Mariner’s lap as he drove.

“I love the dogs. We’ve gotten close,” said Mariner. “They’re super fun to work with. This job has so much freedom to hang out, hang out with the dogs and play with them all night.”

The goose-chasing program first started in 2015, spearheaded by the late Jim Reed, a longtime Governors Island worker who maintained the grounds (and became canine Reed’s namesake). Deterring geese on the island is a priority because their droppings pose a health hazard, make recreation on the lawns unattractive and harm the grass. Plus, geese can become aggressive and territorial towards people when they nest.

’Round-the-Clock Job

Aspen, a six-year-old border collie-Australian shepherd mix who has been on the job for about five years, is shy, taking time to warm up to newcomers. Reed, on the other hand, has goofy puppy energy and is immediately friendly to anyone he meets.

“Sometimes it’s a lot of rotation, but once you see them flying towards Brooklyn, we’re pretty much home free. That’s a sign to hang out for half an hour or 45 minutes,” he said.

East Williamsburg, Brooklyn is where Mariner’s official home is, but he often sleeps at a caretakers’ apartment on Governors Island up to five days each week.

“Sometimes both the dogs and I will spend much of the day sleeping,” Mariner said. “Sometimes it’ll be noon before the dogs are passed back.”

Wasson said the first time she handed Reed off to Mariner for an overnight, it was “like leaving my child. I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”

Aspen’s human siblings — now 16, 20 and 24 — were also very sad when she was on the clock, at first, but they got used to it.

“They understand that she’s a working dog and not a stay-at-home type of pet,” Santiago said.

Love of the Chase

The dogs’ duties can stretch beyond goose-chasing, and sometimes they do take their work home.

Earlier in August, a squirrel made its way into a building on the island hosting an art exhibit. Wasson showed up with Reed, who successfully chased the squirrel out.

Although Reed kissed a reporter upon greeting and promptly asked for pets, the dogs deferred to their parents when THE CITY requested comment for this story.

Reed’s mom, Lori Wasson, and Aspen’s dad, Danny Santiago, both work for the Governors Island operations team. They bring the dogs to work, and the dogs hang out in their office, sleeping, receiving affection and treats and sometimes going on walks with their human coworkers.

“When anyone needs a mental health break, they come down and play,” Santiago said.

Like their parents and others on the payroll at Governors Island, Aspen and Reed have their own work badges, complete with headshots. But the dogs get paid in veterinary care, training and dog food.

“I’ve never seen her have a bad day at work,” Santiago said about Aspen. “She has free rein to run and chase the geese and do her thing. She loves it. She’s ecstatic about it.”

Mariner, who previously worked in corporate marketing, picks up the dogs right from their parents before his overnight shift begins at 5 p.m.

“I distract them so they’re not like, ‘Oh, where’s mom? Where’s dad?’” he said.

The dogs stay with Mariner on the island two or three times weekly. In the summer, Mariner makes sure visitors leave the island safely and then, every few hours, drives the dogs around in a golf cart to find any geese for them to chase. In the winter, those rounds happen more frequently, at least every hour, since there are more geese. The dogs can spend up to two hours at a time chasing the geese.

Reed also likes to get rid of geese along the beach in his neighborhood of Breezy Point, and Aspen tends to herd her siblings when she’s back in Ridgewood.

“Whenever we go outside, she’s keeping a constant eye on where they are and where they should be, always tugging me to bring them in,” Santiago said.

A trainer comes to the island to work with the dogs until they’re about three years old, and their parents follow videos and other tutorials to keep up the habits at home. Getting the dogs to come back on command — eventually, without the lure of a treat — is the main part of training. Even the naturals get up to hijinks.

“Puppies can be pretty stupid, and they do dumb things,” Mariner said. “I’m in charge of the welfare of this creature, so when I find it eating chicken bones out in the middle of the field at 10 p.m., I gotta make sure it’s okay.”

When Aspen was almost three and close to finishing her formal training, she tried to herd the grass-munching sheep on the island, who were within an enclosure. As she ran around the pen, she fell into a puddle. She reappeared, covered in muck, and continued running.

“It was a hysterical moment,” Santiago said. “She was all muddy, but she looked like she was having the best time of her life.”