A goose is a man's best friend

"That means he wants me to follow him to the water," Hernandez explains.

Nearby, park visitor Alvaro Contrares, a 35-year-old construction worker, watches with a large grin on his face.

"It's amazing. I've never seen anything like this. I'd never try to pick up a goose," Contrares says.

City officials do not condone the dumping of pets in parks, according to Christine Conyers, facility director for Hollenbeck Park. Nor do they condone people trying to steal ducks or geese from the lake.

"Are they city property? It's a fine line," acknowledges park police officer Phil Graciano. "We don't feed them. We just house them."

Back at the lake, Chacho is waddling alongside Hernandez as he retrieves his jacket and the empty bread and tortilla bags.

He will put the goose back in the water beneath the shoreline wall so he can make a graceful escape.

"He's my best friend," Hernandez says again. "I love him and he loves me."

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bob.pool@latimes.com