ROCKY MOUNT — Human kindness has given an injured goose a new lease on life.

D.J. Ingle and Amanda Fawcette, both of Rocky Mount, found the goose last week in the back of a hay truck parked behind the Lowes store where they work. They believed he was hit by a car.

Suffering from a fracture, the Canada goose has been under veterinarian Dr. Marshall Coats' care for the past six days. The bird is getting a little rambunctious.

"We're glad to see him feeling better," Dr. Coats says. "We like to see him a little fussy. That means he's feeling back to his old self."

No cast was needed -- just medication, food and rest. Dr. Coats will not charge for his work. Wildlife rescues are just something you do when you love animals.

With the bird feeling much better, Ingle and Fawcette took the goose back Tuesday to Stony Creek in Rocky Mount. The women did not save the goose to make him a pet. They have not named him, and they do not even expect to get a thank you or ever see him again.

The goose stepped out of its carrying cage and limped a little as he entered Stony Creek. Ingle and Fawcette were excited -- the bird's release is their only satisfaction.

So, drive carefully along Highway 301, and honk if you love geese. This goose may honk back.