You've seen them if you drive past the UTPB campus but this weekend the University got rid of some of the lawn's prairie dogs to control over-population.

The impetus for the move was a fear that with overpopulation the prairie dogs might over consume the food supply, migrate onto the athletic fields or near students housing.

Professional prairie dog cathcher Lynda Watson says there were too many at UTPB.

"They aren't going to cause any great problems. But you know it's not necessary that there be a thousand Praire dogs living here", Watson Said.

This weekend Watson used her 25 years of Prairie dog catching experience to round up about 150 of the furry creatures.

"There are actually areas here on UTPB campus where they do belong... you know... where they're welcome... where they're doing very well. We just need to make sure that they don't spread to areas where they don't belong".

To nab them she simply pours water down their burrowing holes and then adds dish soap. This drives them out of the holes. As the bubbles rise the hope is that a prairie dog will too.

"You know this method particularly in areas like a campus... it's wonderful... it's safe because it's water and dish soap".

Once caught, she washes the dog and then secure it in a cage.

"If we were not growing lawns... they would not be pests. It's not their fault. So all we have to do is move them to somewhere they're not pests adn the problem's solved".

Watson says other places with Prairie dog problems shoot them or poison them but UTPB keeps the family oriented animals together and relocates them to parks, ranches or zoos. Watson makes sure to keep them safe.

"He needs good health care, a good diet, a good place to live, until such time as he can be released".

She also says they are much less volatile in terms of disease than people claim.

"We hear all the time about they... they carry horrible diseases and they pose a great health risk.. that is simply not true".

The prairie dogs will spend two weeks in Lubbock, TX, getting checked out by a vet and then will be sent to their new homes, which are as of now undecided.

 

Story located at CBS 7 .