A lucky goose has trained his Auburn family well: Treats are appreciated, so is a swim in the bathtub.
AUBURN – Sam the goose has definite feelings about people.
Women are OK. Men are better. Kids can be the best, especially if they have bread in hand.
“He’ll put out a big goose noise,” said owner Rachel Feeley.
Sam arrived on the Feeley family’s doorstep 22 years ago when their son, Tommy, brought two baby geese home from a local feed store. The goslings were yellow, fluffy and just 6-inches tall. Their first home was a cardboard box in the living room.
“They grew bigger, and we got a bigger box. They grew bigger, and we put the box out on the porch,” Rachel said.
Within months, they outgrew the porch and moved to a pen in the front yard.
Silo, Sam’s brother, died when an animal attacked him. Sam grew into a vocal, sociable goose. Soon, he was the talk of the neighborhood.
Children from the neighboring Lake Street Elementary School come over to pet Sam. Rachel’s piano students greet him before each lesson and bring him treats afterward.
People sometimes use the goose as a landmark when giving directions around the neighborhood. At 2-feet tall, with massive white feathers and ice-blue eyes, he’s hard to miss as he roams in his pen on the Feeley family’s lawn.
“He’s like a neighborhood goose,” Rachel said.
Sam has established a routine over the years. During the day, he stays in his pen on the lawn. At night – and when it’s really cold out – they move him to a converted playpen inside.
During the summer, he paddles around in a kiddie pool. In the winter, he sometimes swims in the family bathtub.
“Yes, he gets nice and clean there, don’t you?” cooed Rachel, stroking Sam’s feathers while he playfully nibbled at her fingers.
(He nibbles people he likes. He snaps at people he doesn’t. And he bites the shoes of pretty much everyone.)
When a familiar person approaches, Sam ruffles his feathers and honks. Often, “familiar person” equals treats.
“I think he likes bread better than anything,” said Rachel’s husband, Tom, who gives the goose a slice almost every night before bed.
After doing some research, the Feeleys believe Sam could live to be more than 30-years old. They hope it’s at least that long.
“He’s a well-loved goose,” Rachel said.
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