More Than 100 Chickens Rescued from Animal Hoarder

Animal Place, an education center and sanctuary for farmed animals, has come to the aid of 140 distressed roosters, hens, and chicks, all living at the northern California home of a man unable to properly care for them.

On September 9, Animal Place staff spent more than four hours carefully removing the birds from hand-built enclosures inside the home of a hoarder who is to be the subject of a new documentary series produced by Animal Planet called Confessions: Animal Hoarding.

“Although these birds were well-fed, they were living in unhealthy conditions without enough space and breeding uncontrollably,” says Marji Beach, education manager for Animal Place. “They were allowed in and out of the house, which created a health hazard for both the birds and the human occupant.”

At Animal Place, these birds will be treated the same way a dog or cat at a rescue facility would be treated. They will be checked over for health problems, provided a safe place to live, and then placed into adoptive homes. “We don’t see any moral difference between a dog or a chicken―every needy animal deserves to be helped,” says Beach, who adds that the sanctuary is eager to get the roosters into permanent homes and will even transport them throughout the country. “These are some of the gentlest, sweetest birds we’ve worked with,” she says. “Considering they were practically wild, defending themselves from rats and hawks, it’s amazing how much they just want to take care of each other.”

For more information about adopting, please contact Marji Beach at (530) 798-5114, or email marji [at] animalplace.org.