The New England Patriots are not in the Super Bowl this year, but I know of one dog with a Maine connection who worked really hard this season for them. No, I’m not talking about me. Tom Brady ignored my offer to be his Retriever Receiver this season. I’m talking about Boyd, who works at Gillette Stadium.

Boyd was hired in September to keep the geese off the playing field of the New England Patriot’s home turf. He is a 5 year old Border Collie/Husky mix rescue who lives with his handler, Field Superintendent and Maine native, Ryan Bjorn. Starting at 7:00 AM, before anyone sets foot on the field at Gillette Stadium whether for practice or a big game, Boyd is responsible for running laps to chase the geese away. Canadian geese are protected so he’s well trained not to get close enough to hurt them. His job is to scare them away. Because as we learned first paw on our vacation last fall, Geese can be very messy creatures. Therefore, it’s Boyd’s responsibility to keep the field in pristine condition for the New England Patriots.

It’s not all work and no play for Boyd. When not sprinting around the field, he also acts as an unofficial greeter to the other field staff, and is a fan favorite when he does make an occasional appearance on the field before a game. However, this is serious business, especially when it comes to doing his business. Boyd knows that geese aren’t the only ones who shouldn’t be relieving themselves on the field. So he will discretely take care of his business using the mulch beds off the field.

This, of course, is a dream job for a herding dog. Yet this isn’t his first job. Boyd began his career protecting the Maryland SoccerPlex from birds. A job that he loved. However, he knew with skills like his, he was destined for the big league. Therefore, when his best friend Bjorn got hired by Gillette Stadium, Boyd raced at the chance to join him. After all they’ve been a formidable geese fighting team since Boyd was a puppy. But don’t worry, despite all his success, Ryan Bjorn assures that Boyd is “trying to stay humble” about his new-found fame, and looks forward to going to work at Gillette Stadium. To learn more about Boyd’s journey from whelping box to dream job, visit Patriots.com.