Middletown Police Officer Given PETA Award for Rushing to the Aid of Goose Struck by Car

For Immediate Release:
March 27, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

A Compassionate Police Officer Award is on its way from PETA to the Middletown Police Department in recognition of Officer Gavin Anderson’s kindness and determination in racing to help a goose who was left injured on the side of the road after being hit by a car.

Body‑camera footage of the incident shows Officer Anderson racing across the street and reassuring the shaken goose before carefully tucking the bird’s head beneath a wing to help keep them calm. Officer Anderson then gently carried the bird back to his patrol vehicle to be transported to the Dane County Humane Society Wildlife Center for treatment. Regrettably, the bird’s injuries were so extensive he or she did not survive. 

“While the injuries this goose sustained were too great to overcome, the compassion and comfort provided by Officer Anderson surely helped this bird during a terrifying ordeal,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA encourages everyone to follow his kind example by never hesitating to come to the aid of an animal in trouble.”

With spring in full swing and wildlife more likely to be on the move, PETA urges drivers to pay extra attention to roads and to slow down to avoid hitting animals. Anyone who spots an injured animal should contact their local animal control agency, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator—or, if necessary, 911—and stay with the animal until help arrives.

Officer Anderson will receive a framed certificate and vegan chocolates.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.