Rose

Rose was an arrestingly beautiful black hen, and she was the head chicken in charge at the sanctuary for many years. Of all our chicken residents, Rose was with us the longest. As a chick, Rose started life in a farm supply store. Literally just a drop in the bucket, baby chickens, like Rose, are sold by the dozen in farm supply stores in the springtime for as little as $2 each, depending on their breed. While they await their uncertain fate, the innocent chicks peep with anticipation—the world is so new to them. It is not uncommon for chicks to become injured, ill, or die in farm supply stores, and because they are viewed as products, rather than as individual sentient beings, their suffering is considered to be par for the course. After a few days, the person who purchased Rose decided not to keep her. Thankfully, Rose was entrusted to a vegan high school student who wouldn’t give up on her. Without the means to care for a chicken long-term, her temporary guardian reached out to the sanctuary, where Rose was welcomed with open arms. After that moment, Rose enjoyed every perk that freedom and personhood have to offer. When she was not busy keeping her flock in order, Rose enjoyed human companionship (especially in the form of gentle cuddles). With just a single look into the black puddle of her eyes, everyone who met her fell hopelessly in love with sweet Rose.