Brad Young is best friends with a goose. It all started three months ago when the Leduc, Alta., man was hatching goslings to send to his friend’s farm. One gosling was having trouble.
“Gon had bad legs and he couldn’t escape his shell, so I had to help him,” Young said. “Once I’d seen his legs were bad, I decided to keep him.”
His name is Gon because Young thought he was a goner, but his chances of survival took a turn for the better.
“He came stumbling out and he took his first steps — that was the greatest feeling in the world for me,” Young said.
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Now the pair can be seen walking the streets of Leduc; it’s part of their daily routine. Young said people will often stop them and ask questions. Some even take pictures of the pair.
“We will generally walk to the boat launch, we’ll get to shore. Then (Gon) will go in the (lake) and take a bath and swim around the dock a little bit.”
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Young said Gon is good company. The pair has even learned how to understand each other.
“He’s loyal, he’s a great conversationalist and he’s honest.”
Young said a french goose can live up to 30 years and he plans to be there for him every step of the way.
“He helped me see that the world is a way better place than what I originally thought.”