Press Releases

Mystery of Stray New York City Chickens and Turkey Results in Rescue

Animals Discovered on 125th Street in Harlem to Relocate to Farm Sanctuary

Watkins Glen, New York – September 26, 2008 – Tomorrow, Farm Sanctuary, which operates the largest rescue and refuge network for farm animals in North America, will welcome 13 chickens and one turkey from New York City to its shelter in Watkins Glen, New York. The birds made headlines in the New York Times on Sept. 15 for their mysterious appearance near a vacant lot on 125th Street in Harlem and were impounded by the Manhattan ASPCA the same day. According to the ASPCA and local eyewitnesses, chickens regularly appear in the spot, foraging on sidewalks and darting through traffic. Among those rescued from the area by the ASPCA in the past was a group of 30 chickens and a turkey who were taken in by Farm Sanctuary in Aug. 2007.

“How and why the chickens and turkey ended up on 125th Street remains a mystery, but we can only assume that they are from a live animal market, where customers select chickens, cows, goats, or other animals for slaughter on the premises. The animals are usually kept in filthy conditions and are often sick and terrified. These markets are all over the city, and it’s not uncommon for animals to escape and wander the streets,” said Susie Coston, national shelter director for Farm Sanctuary. “Whether confined and slaughtered at a market or left to fend for themselves on a busy street, these birds faced suffering and certain death and we are grateful for the chance to give them safe refuge.”

The 125th Street chickens and turkey are 14 of more than 200 animals Farm Sanctuary has taken in from New York City in the past two years – including Goodwin, a 25-pound pygmy goat discovered in the Bronx in March 2008; Maxine, a cow found running through the streets of Queens in Sept. 2007; Joey, a goat spotted wandering through Brooklyn in Jan. 2007; and Lucky Lady, a lamb on the lam in the Bronx in June 2007. Like those rescued before them, Farm Sanctuary’s newest New York City refugees will receive medical attention upon arrival in Watkins Glen and live out the remainder of their lives on the 175-acre farm animal shelter.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.