Shrewsbury police is facing public scrutiny after a video recorded by a nearby resident showed officers attempting to euthanize an injured Canada goose believed to be suffering from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
The incident occurred on July 20, 2025, on South Quinsigamond Avenue. Officers on patrol observed a goose in severe distress. After consulting nearby residents and speaking by phone with the town’s Animal Control Officer, who was off duty at the time, police said they made a preliminary determination that the bird was likely infected with HPAI.
According to the Shrewsbury Police Department, the decision was made to euthanize the goose to prevent further suffering and reduce public health risks.
The video shows an officer stepping on the bird’s neck as it continued to struggle. The officer also fired shots, but according to police, these actions were “not as effective as they were intended to be.” A Massachusetts Environmental Police officer later arrived and successfully euthanized the goose with a shotgun.
Shrewsbury Police said it will review procedures for handling similar situations to improve responses in the future.
The incident has sparked reactions on social media from local residents, including comments such as: “Absolutely discouraging how they treated that poor defenseless goose. Shame on them,” and “Sounds like it definitely needs investigated. Seems like much cruelty was inflicted unnecessarily. Sad situation.”
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Glad that officer was able to remove a “possibly Infected” bird. Hopefully preventing future infection from other fowl. After testing, it may become clear that such fowl should be removed albeit a little more discreetly
The goose was hit by a car and was in distress. Throwing a blanket or beach towel over the bird and bringing it to Tufts would have been more humane. Neighbors nearby would surely have helped with that if the cruiser didn’t have anything suitable. There was a time when cruisers were equipped with shotguns. The laughing and joking of the officers was very unprofessional. More extensive training on the use of firearms and the humanely capturing an injured animal is needed as well as training in staying professional while handling such a case.