The Tragic Tale Of Andy The Goose: Born Without Feet, Given Adapted Baby Shoes, Then Murdered

It’s an often-repeated phrase that some stories are stranger than fiction, and that’s certainly the case with Andy the goose. Born without feet, his tale is an emotional rollercoaster of how humans have gone above and beyond to make animals’ lives better.

The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Unfortunately, it’s also one that does not have a happy ending.

Andy the goose hatched in Harvard, Nebraska, in 1987. He came kicking out of his egg without feet, a problematic condition for a two-legged animal.

Andy’s situation caught the attention of inventor Gene Fleming, who was a member of a charitable organization helping disabled children. Familiar with prosthetics, he felt he could help, and so moved Andy and his mate, Polly, to his own farm in Hastings.

Finding Andy's feet

Finding Andy some new feet was far from an easy fix, and Fleming moved through several designs before finding the right fit. There was an early skateboard-like prototype, but the secret to getting Andy back on his feet? Baby shoes.

Fleming adapted the tiny footwear so that it was a good fit for Andy, and in time, he learnt to walk. When they wore out too quickly, Andy graduated to sneakers. A goose in shoes is hard to ignore, least of all with a story arc like Andy’s, and when the news got out the world quickly fell in love with his story.

That included the popular footwear brand Nike. They teamed up with Fleming to get Andy some sick kicks, offering a lifetime supply of shoes. Unfortunately, that lifetime deal wouldn’t last long.

Who killed Andy the goose?

In October 1991, Andy the goose went missing. His disappearance was quickly revealed to be an act of brutality when his dismembered remains were found in a local park still wearing the shoes.

A $10,000 reward was offered by the local community to bring the perpetrator to justice. They were eventually caught by the police but their details were never released because, as Atlas Obscura reported, former Chamber of Commerce president Don Reynolds was told they couldn't be held criminally responsible.

A tragic ending to the life of a goose whose uniqueness landed him a spot on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and inspired people everywhere, but his legacy lives on. After all, who has ever looked this cool in trainers?

As for animal prostheses, many lives have been similarly transformed since. From an elephant that survived a snare only to need a new foot, to a toucan without a bill, and a tortoise on wheels, our relationship with animals isn't all doom and gloom.