Nassau Goose Shot By Crossbow Bolt, Undergoes Surgery

WANTAGH, NY — Authorities are offering a combined reward of $5,000 for information that leads to a conviction after they said someone shot a goose with a crossbow bolt in Wantagh.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, or LION, are each offering reward money in exchange for information about the person responsible for shooting the bird through the neck at Mill Pond, animal welfare authorities said.

John Di Leonardo, senior manager at PETA and president of LION, along with his wife Juliana Cinone and animal rescuer John Debacker, tried to rescue the animal "day after day," LION wrote in a Facebook post. The goose refused to come out of the water or within range of capture until Monday, when a Massapequa veterinarian reported seeing the bird in Bellmore.

"As Juliana distracted him and his mate with food, John Di Leonardo captured the injured bird with a net launcher," LION wrote. "The arrow prevented the net from falling around the bird's legs and he ran into the water but was unable to fly away due to the net."

Warning: Video below contains graphic images.

John and Juliana dove into the water and rushed the goose to a rehabilitation center, where it underwent surgery to remove the arrow. After the animal recovers, it will be released back into the wild and reunited with its mate, authorities said.

In a statement to news outlets, Di Leonardo urged anyone with information to come forward.

"It's hard to imagine the agony, confusion, and fear that this gentle goose must have felt as he suffered for days while impaled through the neck," he said. "PETA urges anyone with information to come forward immediately so that whoever did this can be held accountable and stopped from hurting anyone else."

Anyone with information should email Tips@HumaneLongIsland.org.