“My Dad Replaced Me With A Goose.” Empty Nester Finds Unusual New “Son.”

Every parent copes with their children leaving the nest in their own way. That being said, Hailey’s dad found a particularly unique method. He’ll always be her dad, of course, but he chose to bring a new child under his wing: a baby goose. This little one came into his life when Dad was in the backyard, walking around as he talked on the phone.

The tiny, fuzzy animal was all on his own. When Dad was sure there weren’t any other geese around, he chose to interact with him. And so their wholesome father-son relationship began. From that moment on, Hailey says she’d find them doing all sorts of stuff together, like taking walks or swimming.

“You’d look outside and they’d just be doing everything together,” Hailey recalls. “People would come over and he’s like, ‘This is my boy, Danny. And yeah, I guess my daughter’s here, too.’ Like he was more proud of the goose sometimes than me.”

No matter the “jealousy” Hailey felt toward Danny, she very much loves him like a sibling as well, noting that she thinks having a little one to take care of has been good for her dad.

Still, like any little one, Danny was bound to leave the nest one day. But Dad has plenty of experience with this, and he did everything he could to prepare him for that inevitable moment. Then, one day, they woke up to find that Danny was gone.

Mom got on their jet ski and spotted a whole family of geese nearby. Or should I say Danny’s new family.

Having Danny leave was still sad, of course, a sentiment the goose himself seems to share. After just a week, he returned to their home one last time to officially say “goodbye.”

“My parents, they’re happy to have their son back for a day, even if it just that short time,” Hailey says. “I remember Danny looking at the river, hearing the geese honk, making sure that they’re not leaving him. I felt like that was a sign that he’s where he belongs.”

Watch the video below to learn more about Danny, the baby goose, and his wholesome relationship with his human dad.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!