Cooper City residents outraged after ATV rampage leaves another goose injured

Authorities offer reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest

COOPER CITY, Fla. – Another injured goose has been discovered on a berm in Cooper City, its legs broken and the bird too weak to move.

Residents believe the injuries were caused by an ATV that was seen speeding through the area.

“This is another evidence of the atrocity that just happened,” Brian Schaffer said, pointing to a video showing the injured bird he found Saturday afternoon near a canal behind his home.

“It breaks our heart to see an animal suffering,” Schaffer added.

This is the second injured bird Schaffer has discovered since the initial incident occurred on Dec. 28, during which an ATV, captured on video obtained by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, was seen driving up and down the berm, ramming into flocks of birds.

Schaffer said he collected 30 dead birds in the aftermath.

“There’s an injured one in pain, dying,” Schaffer said in another cellphone video documenting the aftermath.

Schaffer and his wife, Serena, have been vocal about the incident, urging authorities and the community to identify the individuals responsible.

“I think they should look more into this and take this seriously because there are a lot of people complaining about this,” Serena Schaffer said.

“I feel really bad because it’s like there’s somebody protecting their identity. They should do more in Cooper City to find these people,” she added.

Two injured geese were taken to Duck Haven Inc., a bird rescue organization in Margate.

The rescue’s owner, Eunice Sivertsen, said one of the birds is recovering, while the other is awaiting veterinary care.

“It breaks my heart. I cry sometimes every night,” said Sivertsen. “When this came up, I couldn’t sleep for days.”

A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or arrests.

Anyone with information is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.


About the Authors
Cody Weddle headshot

Cody Weddle joined Local 10 News as a full-time reporter in South Florida in August of 2022. Before that, Cody worked regularly with Local 10 since January of 2017 as a foreign correspondent in Venezuela and Colombia.

Ryan Mackey headshot

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

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