Rest In Peep

Dear Editor,

I hope that sharing this story will change people’s perceptions and misconceptions, and enhance awareness of the Humane Society's practices, or in my opinion, malpractices in certain cases.

My story is about a pet chicken named Peep. I had wanted a pet rooster for over two years and one day about six months ago, I finally got one.

I found Peep while walking to my car in Foodland's parking lot up in Princeville. He was just a little chick at the time and could fit in the palm of my hand. I took him home and raised him to be an almost full-grown, friendly adult rooster.

Peep and I bonded very quickly. I did not have much in terms of provisions for him that first night. I lined a ten-gallon aquarium with cedar chips and set down a water dish and normal bird feed in my bedroom on the floor. Looking back, it’s obvious why the little guy would not eat or stop peeping – he was cold. That night he cuddled up in my hand and I held him in my sleep to keep him warm. The next day, I got Peep better provisions including a heat lamp, real chick feed, and feeders.

Over time, Peep got bigger and bigger and soon he was able to jump up and perch on the top of the aquarium I relocated to a table next to my desk. Occasionally he would hop off and say hello while I was working on my computer. It did not take long for me to move Peep outside into the carport into a bigger cage made especially for chickens. I would take Peep out into the yard to get sun, exercise, and to dig up bugs. He learned to follow me around just in case I found a juicy beetle or tasty worm and he quickly assimilated the snapping of my fingers to a six-legged treat to the point where I could snap my fingers and he would suddenly be at my toes looking around for whatever I uncovered.

As Peep matured and became comfortable with his surroundings, I eventually moved him from the cage in the carport to being leashed in the yard, and then just let him roam free in the yard. He considered the fenced-in yard and carport his home and would not venture far from it. He would hide under the house to escape the hot sun or the daily rain in Kalaheo, but he would always come out to greet me with joyous chirps whenever I entered the yard or came home from work. One of the neatest aspects of having Peep as my animal companion was his ability to convey his thoughts through the variety of noises he made – a trait which most other pets lack. Anyone who had the opportunity to meet Peep was surprised at how smart and friendly he was.

Peep's last day was on September 8th, 2008 and started off like any other: he was roaming around the front yard and carport. But along came an individual who thought Peep was an abandoned or feral rooster even though he had a partial leash, worn like an anklet around his leg. As a concerned citizen, the individual took Peep to the Humane Society in Lihue. Upon Peep's arrival, he was treated like every other chicken brought to the Humane Society and was immediately euthanized.

I want to make it clear that neither the individual who took Peep to the Humane Society nor the Humane Society are to fully blame. Both parties did what they thought was best to do given the fact that there are many feral chickens on this island.

My issue following Peep's extermination, besides the sadness that I now feel, is how fast acting the Humane Society was to euthanize Peep. I did not have a chance to save his life because as soon as I found out that Peep was taken to the Humane Society, which was about an hour later, I called them immediately but it was too late. Peep was dead.

Unlike dogs or cats, apparently there is no grace period for chickens. I know that there happens to be an overabundance of chickens on Kauai. I also understand that chickens are not normally raised as family pets but kept for their eggs, or more commonly for cock fighting. For anyone who does not know, chickens make great pets and I feel it is wrong to discriminate against them. Peep had a partial leash around his ankle, was healthy and neither malnourished nor injured, and most importantly friendly and domesticated. I know that the Humane Society would not immediately euthanize a cat or dog in the same condition but with Peep, there was no second questioning his fate.

If there is one thing to take from this article it is this: Not all chickens on Kauai are bad. Chickens make great pets. Check out www.mypetchicken.com to learn more about having your own pet chicken.

I still smile when I see a rooster and laugh when he crows. Fly free, my beautiful rooster, wherever you may be.