Ferndale Family Starts Year by Taking In Injured Goose
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 3, 2015)
The Ebaugh family’s Ferndale home is sort of like a zoo already, so taking when they heard about an injured goose seen near 9 Mile and Coolidge on New Year’s Eve, there was no question what they should do.
“I was getting my house together for our neighborhood New year party and got a text from one of my neighbors. He sent me a screen shot of a conversation on the Ferndale Forum, about a goose that was scared and hurt on 9 mile. He thought that maybe my duck had gotten out of the yard. My son had just come in from feeding our duck, so I went on the Forum to see what was going. I saw all of the concern for the poor thing. So I grabbed my kids and some blankets and went out looking for the goose,” said Sarah Ebaugh.
After driving around for a while, another sighting was reported. “Someone said 9 and Norwood, we drove there and found her laying in the middle of someone’s front yard. I parked my truck, the three of us got out and corralled her into a blanket. We wrapped her up and brought her home.”
The duck in the Ebaugh home is joined by a Great Dane, “a mediocre Dane,” a poodle, two cats, three turtles, a human mom and dad, and four kids – two girls and two boys. Mom is a Realtor for Real Estate One in Royal Oak who has lived in Ferndale all her life. Dad is a Mortgage Manager at First State Bank. When they aren’t working and taking care of animals, they and the kids make food to take to the homeless people under the bridges at 8 Mile and I-75 and 8 Mile and Woodard.
The goose, who they call “Tilly” seemed only to need a safe, warm place to rest after whatever had made her unable to fly. Sarah put Tilly in an outdoor pen with Scott, the duck. “Scott was so happy to have a friend,” she said with a laugh. “The feeling was not mutual.”
Tilly hid under the coop and eventually Sarah locked Scott in the coop to keep the curious little duck away while Tilly recovered. Sarah and the children added hay to give Tilly more warmth, and some food and water just for her.
“This morning as my son was looking out back, he watched her spread her wings and fly away. She was gone for about 5-10 mins and then she came back. She rested for a while more, had some more food and water. Flew around the yard for a bit and when she felt well enough, she flew away to wherever geese fly.”
Tilly is not the first rescued animal in the area. Here are some previous stories of people helping animals in need:
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/06/26/lucky-robin-gets-ferndale-love-returns-favor-with-adorable-loyalty/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/08/07/pleasant-ridges-pr-the-cat-adds-adorableness-to-city-hall-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/11/24/baby-makes-her-move-pleasant-ridge-deer-video/
https://oaklandcounty115.com/2014/07/22/royal-oak-home-destroyed-by-fire-dog-saved-by-neighbor-video/