So long Kevin, we love you
Kevin the Goose, a permanent fixture at one area of Okanagan Lake beach in Penticton and a favourite of many locals, has died.
According to a local animal activist, Kevin, a Canada Goose, was euthanized on Friday, March 29 at the Emergency Vet Clinic in Kelowna after being attacked by an unleashed dog.
Good Samaritans were able to crate the Canada Goose and drive him to Kelowna, but vets at the 24-hour hospital were unable to save his life.
The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team was also called to the scene, but the Good Samaritans -- praised for doing all the right things -- had already left for Kelowna.
The dog’s owner remained on the scene and was remorseful.
According to City of Penticton bylaws, dogs are not allowed on beaches in Penticton, except a small area designated for offleash dogs at the opposite end of the beach.
Hundreds of people have posted condolences to Kevin on the Penticton Facebook page, which first broke the story.
The Herald verified the accuracy of the Facebook post after speaking with a member of an animal rescue group on Friday.
“This is so bad. I used to take my Mom down there just to sit in the car and watch him. He gave us such joy,” the animal rescue volunteer wrote in an email.
This was the second known dog attack on Kevin. Five years ago his wing was broken. It left him unable to fly, but he was still active often coming out of the water to greet people and receive gifts of food from him.
“When he was discovered in this tragic state, we collectively knew that he was in serious trouble. We were able to capture him, crate him and transport him to the emergency Vet clinic in Kelowna. It was evident that he could no longer survive with two serious strikes against him,” local resident Beth Lachance wrote in a letter to the editor published on Page A9.
“Therefore, he was released from all the struggles he faced daily and set free to fly among the angels. I’m certain he fit right in!”
Slackwater Brewing on Martin Street is hosting a celebration of life for Kevin on Sunday, April 7. More information will follow.
Dear Editor:
If you have ever been lucky enough to befriend a wild creature, you know the thrill of each greeting, each connection.
So it was with Kevin. His enthusiasm for you when you found him was palpable. If he was happy to see you, he didn’t hold back.
Therefore, the grip of sadness that has a hold on me right now is equally tangible. Good Friday, was Kevin’s last day on earth.
He was injured again... this time to his right foot. It left him unable to stand or walk. When he was discovered in this tragic state, we collectively knew that he was in serious trouble. We were able to capture him, crate him and transport him to the emergency Vet clinic in Kelowna. It was evident that he could no longer survive with two serious strikes against him.
Therefore, he was released from all the struggles he faced daily and set free to fly among the angels. I’m certain he fit right in.
I cannot express the sense of emptiness this has left for so many of us who literally loved that goose. His gentle nature and easy acceptance of help and friendship is a model for each of us to follow. No matter what the day held for him, he was always happy for the companionship and food anyone brought his way.
His low murmuring purr of gratitude and satisfaction will forever ring in my ears. The way he ate his smorgasbord of grass, seeds and oats with that same Kev enthusiasm, will be the moments I remember with great fondness. You knew he was satisfied when he began to groom with serious intent. He never let himself go.
Even when he couldn’t stand, he was laying there grooming... grateful as ever for the food that Dave had brought him.
I hope that this entire Kevin era is one of learning for Penticton as a whole. How often does an interface with one of nature’s creatures actually benefit the animal? Not often enough.
Kevin taught us to trust one another. That when you need help, it’s OK to ask for it. That when you are vulnerable, it allows others to show their vulnerability as well. That we are capable of tremendous generosity of spirit when the need arises. He showed us what courage to face each day with renewed hope, looks like. He taught us to go to the waters of this sweet little town and spend time there. To take time out of our busyness and smell the air and take in the beauty. He showed many people that not all geese are mean to be around. In fact he showed us that when we open up to nature, we experience that we are part of the whole, not separate from it.
Kindness is a decision. We can choose not to help those in need, or we can step up and do something... anything. The smallest gesture in the direction of loving kindness, is the lesson Kevin has left us with.
So let’s spread it around. Let’s embrace this level of being and show him that he has left an indelible mark of courageous, loving kindness in his wake. ‘Feathers appear when angels are near.’
Beth Lachance, Kevin’s Legacy of Love Supporter
Penticton