Vets: Pierce the Goose still recovering from arrow wound

BARNSTABLE — Pierce the Goose is still receiving medical care after being saved from Cook Pond last week with an arrow through its chest, including treatment for lead poisoning.

The Cape Wildlife Center, the nonprofit wildlife hospital that is treating the injured Canada goose, posted an update to its Facebook page Wednesday regarding the condition of the bird, dubbed Pierce. He was spotted in late March with an arrow piercing his breast, and was rescued last week.

“'Pierce' the Canada Goose continues to recover after emergency surgery to remove an arrow from his chest. The NEWCS vet care team is providing nutritional support, pain meds, antibiotics, and wound care with a honey bandage treatment. He has also started his first round of chelation therapy to lower the level of lead in his body.

"Our hope is he’ll be more stable after this first course of treatments and can undergo further surgery to clean his wound. Our vet care team discovered that the arrow fractured a portion of his keel bone. The keel bone helps anchor the pectoral muscles which are essential to flight, and helps protect the internal organs behind the bone. If this arrow had landed even a few inches further into the body, it would have likely been a fatal shot.

"Due to his multiple injuries, infection, lead poisoning, and muscle trauma, Pierce’s prognosis is still uncertain, but for now he is resting comfortably. We'll continue to do everything we can to help him return to the wild."

The center included a donation link in its post.

The Cape Wildlife Center removed the arrow from Pierce's chest in a 45-minute operation that saw the animal's heart rate drop to zero at one point.

It's unknown who shot the goose.