A year ago, a wild goose came into the pond behind Harry Huff’s cabin, chasing, pecking, and biting. But this feathery interloper fell for Huff’s bulldog, Sadie.
Inseparable, the unusual duo explored Harnett County on paws and webbed feet. Huff called the goose Sal, who guarded the area alongside his canine pal.
“That goose,” observed neighbor Wanda Holder, “rubs on that dog!”
They were separated, but tributes to their inter-species bond continue to appear on social media as humans try to reunite them.
But in one day, Sadie and Sal went out onto N.C. 27, a busy highway outside of Lillington. Witnesses tried to apprehend Sadie and Sal. And the photo they took of them became an Internet sensation.
The goose got upset when we stopped to help it keep the bulldog out of the road, a Sanford resident reported on Facebook. “Began chasing and biting everybody who came near the dog. This isn’t real.”
Witnesses say an unknown woman leashed Sadie despite Sal’s objections. “(The goose) chased the dog-car for a long before giving up,” the Sanford man wrote. Now Sal — sometimes known as Gary — walks down her street, honking like a dejected duck. “He’s sad,” Huff remarked.
“I imagine a children’s book,” one concerned reader wrote on two Facebook lost dog sites.
Theories abound outside Lillington. Was the unknown woman taking the bulldog because it was mistreated, in danger, or just because she wanted it? Some neighbors believe the dog has moved into a nearby gated enclave where geese are not welcome.
“The goose was unique,” stated Charles Bull. “He’s been in my yard a lot. I’m actually touching the geese, which is unusual.”
Nature binds together, the Bible says loosely. Sorrowful geese and bulldog honks haunt Harnett County.
But this isn’t the first time a bulldog and geese have bonded! Take a look:]
