Goose transforms rescue dog from mighty to mellow
Rex, a German Shepherd rescue dog who was once labelled as “dangerous”, has surprised his handlers after developing a friendship with a goose.
It seems the dog’s tender side was under wraps for a long time, but his feathered friend has helped him relax and enjoy the finer things in life.
Before Geraldine the goose took him under her wing, it took two handlers to feed the dog. Much like zookeepers would feed a tiger, Rex would have to be distracted by one person at the Puriton Horse and Animal Rescue centre, while another propelled food into the enclosure.
It wasn’t just the 11-year-old’s barking and growling that gave him his vicious reputation; he also had a habit of squeezing his head into a fence hole to attack passing rabbits. The dog’s owners were worried that Rex would hurt Geraldine at first, but were pleasantly surprised when he softened in the company of his feathered friend. The animals were once very angry and it seems that their coming together has had a positive effect on both lives.
Sheila Brislin, from the animal rescue centre near Bridgwater in Somerset, said:
“I’ve been doing rescue work since 1997 and seen all kinds of strange animal behaviour, but I’ve never seen anything like this. They snuggle down together and Rex puts his leg over her to protect her. In the morning they have breakfast together.”
The animals now do everything side-by-side, from going on adventures in the woods to sleeping and eating.
