By David Sturge
When I arrived at Neil and Jacqueline’s house in Green’s Harbour, Trinity Bay, there was no need to ring the doorbell. The announcement of my arrival came courtesy of their pet geese, Gord Downey and Bobcageon, whose honking, combined with the overhead flyby of local ducks, made it very clear I had the right address. This was no ordinary yard; it was a place where the wild and the not-so-wild found refuge together and where the story of Neil and Gord took flight.
As we enjoyed a coffee and a yarn, it wasn’t long before the persistent calls from the backyard sanctuary made it clear that Gord wanted inside. Bob, however, the newest member of the flock, was a different story. Neil and Jacqueline explained that Bob is still a “work in progress.” He hasn’t fully adjusted to household living and retains what Neil generously calls a “more traditional goose attitude.”
Jacqueline reinforced this by showing me a fresh bruise on her hand from Bob’s daily painful pecks. “At times,” Neil added with a chuckle, “he can be a real ass.”
There’s no guidebook to help navigate raising pet geese. Neil and Jacqueline are left to wing it on their own. Jacqueline is even perfecting homemade cloth goose diapers for Gord, an idea that seems a little quacked to most, but she’s already getting requests to sell them to other bird owners, a request that she’s not ready to fly with quite yet.
Neil shared the origin story of his bond with Gord. After rescuing an egg from hungry crows and gulls feasting along nearby Simmons Pond, he placed it in a newly purchased chicken incubator, and that’s where the relationship truly hatched. And as Gord broke out of his shell, he began the process of imprinting on Neil, viewing him as a parent, and their lives have been bonded ever since.
That relationship also takes an extraordinary amount of dedication. Raising wild birds is a lifestyle that requires a huge honking degree of commitment as well as proper space for them to grow and spread their wings. There are the rituals of exercise, cleaning, feeding and veterinarian care when needed that all come with a price tag too. So, before you think you are ready to soar into a relationship with a wild goose, be sure you are grounded in what to expect.
Gord is truly a part of daily family life, whether visiting pet-friendly businesses as they run errands in St. John’s, ATV rides or walks down the road to the local pond, wherever they can bring him, Gord is there. I was left speechless to observe Gord leaning to use a pee pad in the living room, where he makes a scheduled “ripe” deposit every fifteen minutes, give or take. He has found his place in this world, and the furthest he migrates is inside the house for quality family time or to settle in front of the warm woodstove on cold winter days. I watched as Gord
sat on Neil’s lap, affectionately preening his beard, each successful pluck punctuated by a sudden “ouch”.
They stared at each other with mutual admiration in one of the most unconventional friendships I have ever witnessed, and it was exactly the wonderful, wild moment I had come to see. Beyond the deeply apparent love and care for his family, Neil’s other great love is music. When he broke out the guitar, Gord Downey, true to his musically grounded name, contributed to a classic Beatles instrumental into a slightly offbeat “honky-tonk” version, plucking strings at random to create a wildly out-of-tune yet deeply entertaining duet, making it impossible not to laugh.
The family has since become a media sensation, appearing on CBC National News and Land and Sea, not to mention the viral social media views flying high.
“People must think I’m completely weird,” Neil admitted. He’s probably right in the best possible way, but that’s precisely why Gord has survived, thrived and given people unlimited smiles and laughter, wherever he goes.
What stands out beyond this unconventional relationship is Neil’s openness and vulnerability. He proudly admits that he loves Gord and that he’s his best friend, and shares the journey. It takes a certain kind of kindness to save an abandoned egg, raise geese as family, and then share that journey with the world. In the uncertainty and fear of today’s world, big hearts like Neil and Jaqueline’s and the wholesome story of Gord are “egg-actly” what we all need.
