CINCINNATI COPS PROTECT AND SERVE

Momma goose asks officer for help untangling baby from balloon string

Inside Edition
May 11, 1016

Police officers are ordered to protect and serve — and that doesn't leave out animals.

A mother goose in Ohio personally sought out the help of the Cincinnati Police Department Monday when one of her goslings was tangled in a balloon string.

Cincinnati Police Sergeant James Givens told InsideEdition.com: “I was sitting in a patrol car in a parking lot, I heard something pecking on the side of the door and I looked down and I thought the goose was hungry. I was eating a bagel and I tossed it a piece but it didn’t have any. It walked in front of me so I followed it and it took me to its baby that was tangled in rope.”

Sergeant Givens called the SPCA Wildlife, which had no one to assist. He then made a call over the radio and Officer Cecilia Charron arrived to lend a hand.

Officer Charron approached the mother goose to see what the issue was.

“It’s weird because it kept the distance and it kept the baby calm. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Givens said. “I said it must be a motherly instinct, the mother didn’t attack her or nothing, seeing the thing run off that was the best part.”

Givens filmed the encounter and posted the video on Facebook.

The string came from a Mother’s Day balloon that must have floated away from its recipient.

“I don’t know why I didn’t just drive off and keep going. It kept looking up, it kept quacking, the only thing I can think of, is that I go down there and drink a cup of coffee sometimes,” he said. “They never came that close to me in the police car before, I was just amazed how she didn’t attack us. I was a little nervous.”

Givens, who has served on the force for more than 25 years, is nearing retirement. Charron has been on the force for 24 years and said that was the most memorable moment of her career.