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Wendy the Wayward Chicken Finds a Home at Farm Sanctuary

Chicken Found Wandering Carmichael Neighborhood to Arrive at Orland, Calif. Sanctuary Today

ORLAND, Calif. – February 5, 2009 – A famous chicken who appeared on Good Day Sacramento on Feb. 1 after she mysteriously showed up in the yard of the Mecham family in Carmichael, Calif. will find a home today at the 300-acre shelter for farm animals operated by Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Known as “Wendy the Wayward Chicken,” the hen will arrive at Farm Sanctuary in Orland, Calif. this evening and will be given safe refuge there for the rest of her natural life.

“When we found out from a relative of the Mechams that the family wanted to find a good home for Wendy, but could not find her former caregiver or an adopter, we happily agreed to take her in and give her a permanent place to live,” said Farm Sanctuary California Shelter Director Leanne Cronquist. “Thanks to the Mechams, who cared enough to lend a chicken a helping hand, Wendy will now be safe from harm. At Farm Sanctuary, she’ll be given the very best care and treated like a star for the rest of her days.”

Wendy will join more than 350 other farm animals who have been rescued from abuse and neglect and given a second chance at life at Farm Sanctuary. She will become an ambassador for her species, educating visitors to the Orland, Calif. shelter about the plight of chickens raised for food and showing them just how deserving of compassion and protection farm animals really are. Farm Sanctuary’s Calif. shelter is located about 100 miles north of Sacramento and is open to visitors May-October. More information can be found at farmsanctuary.org.

Note to editors: Photos of Wendy the Wayward Chicken at Farm Sanctuary will be available upon request.

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 www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.