Chicken advocates find new home
March 1st, 2007 by admin
It’s not exactly a sanctuary, but The Chicken Store has made life much better for the estimated 3,000 free-roaming chickens of Key West. For years, chickens who had been hit by cars or who were threatened with extermination by the city have found medical care and passionate defenders at the Chicken Store. An article in this week’s Miami Herald described how its efforts “has helped the island’s feral fowl survive hurricanes, cruel kids, auto accidents, disappearing canopy trees, a worldwide bird flu scare and even a barber-turned-chicken-catcher.” But when the building they had been renting was sold to become vacation rentals, it looked like the end for The Chicken Store. But good news: a local resident has offered use of a property across town. The few dozen recuperating chickens and those waiting to be adopted will soon pack up for the move to their new home.
It’s a great place to visit. The store sells chicken-themed souvenirs to raise money for the care of the animals. One of our favorite items is a wooden box with “3 Piece Chicken Dinner” printed on its cover. When you open the box, you find three corn kernels: dinner FOR chickens, not a dinner OF chickens.