March 17 (UPI) — A flock of escaped chickens that wandered through busy Maine roads ended up riding shotgun through a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through in an animal control officer’s service vehicle.
Animal Control Officer Jessica Jackson of the Casco, Naples, Raymond, Harrison Regional Animal Control Department said she was called out Wednesday on a report of a flock of loose chickens wandering through traffic on Routes 302 and 11 in Naples.
“It was a huge traffic hazard,” Jackson told the Bangor Daily News. “Animal safety is my job, but I was also worried about the public’s safety.”
Jackson said the chickens ended up gathering on a parked oil truck at the Dodge Oil Company, located on the corner of the intersection.
The officer said she was unable to identify the owner of the chickens, so she was left with the task of transporting them to a foster farm for safekeeping.
“I tried to get them into dog kennels I carry, but I did not have enough kennels for the amount of chickens,” she said. “My capture net is broken because it had been chewed by a rat so I could not use that.”
Jackson used dog kibble to lure the chickens into the back seat of her car — and realized too late that the sliding door separating the back seat from the front was open.
Jackson said she attempted to shoo the birds from the front seat to the back, but the chickens became agitated and started pooping.
“For the sake of my cruiser, I decided to let them ride shotgun,” Jackson said. “We took a side trip through Dunkin’ Donuts for donut crumbs and a coffee and then headed off to the farm.”
The animal control department shared a video to Facebook showing the chickens accompanying Jackson in the front seat of her vehicle.
Jackson said the chickens will remain at the foster home until their owner can be identified. She said they will become permanent residents at the facility if no one comes forward to claim them.
