For seven years, a one-eyed goose named Billy waddled through yards and along sidewalks in a Baton Rouge, Louisiana neighborhood, greeting residents who knew him by name and treating every day like Halloween.
Billy, who couldn't fly and arrived in the neighborhood without explanation, quickly became a local fixture - a neighborhood mascot.
“He was our mascot. I mean, everybody here knew Billy. We don't know where he came from. He just showed up here,” said Rachel Jackson, a longtime resident.
According to CBS News, Billy's daily routine included visiting multiple houses for food, especially warm bread that neighbors would heat in the microwave. Many residents were unaware he was making his rounds to every home on the block.
“It's kind of interesting that he was trick-or-treating to every house on the block, and we didn't all know it,” said Ami Wallis, Billy's friend.
Wallis whistled for Billy each morning, and the goose would call back. Over time, the two developed their own form of communication.
“Billy was like another little person. He tried to talk. He would, like, beep at you, and you'd beep back,” Wallis said.
More than just a familiar face, Billy served as a caretaker in the community. He even kept watch over the neighborhood ducks.
Residents trusted him enough to let him freely interact with their children, eventually earning him the title of neighborhood “Mother Goose.”
When Billy was attacked last month, likely by an alligator, neighbors rushed him to a nearby animal hospital. Veterinarians determined he needed to be euthanized.
Billy's death prompted an outpouring of memories on social media, revealing how deeply he had become an integral part of the neighborhood.
