CAMDEN, Del. – A Delaware animal shelter is working around the clock to care for thousands of baby chicks after they were found abandoned for three days inside a U.S. Postal Service truck, without food or water. While many chicks died, over 2,000 survived and are now up for adoption.
What Happened?
According to officials, 12,000 chicks were shipped from Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery for delivery across the country. The shipment never made it to its destinations. Instead, the chicks were left inside a mail distribution center truck, where they were discovered only after several days in extreme heat.
The U.S. Postal Service acknowledged a “process breakdown” and is currently investigating the cause of the failure.
Due to biosecurity rules, the hatchery cannot take the surviving birds back, even though the company believes completing the original deliveries would have been a better solution.
Shelter Overwhelmed by Crisis
The First State Animal Center and SPCA, located in Camden, Delaware, has been caring for the survivors for over two weeks. Executive Director John Parana said the situation has turned the shelter into a 24/7 operation, straining staff, resources, and funding.
“Some of our employees have started using their own money just to keep things going,” Parana said.
Only a few hundred chicks have been adopted so far. The shelter is refusing adoption requests from people seeking birds for meat, honoring its status as a no-kill rescue.
Among the birds are not only chicks, but also young turkeys, geese, and quail. Most are Freedom Rangers, a breed that takes around 10 weeks to mature, increasing demand for space and feed.
Funding Uncertain as Shelter Waits
The Delaware Department of Agriculture, which directed the birds to the shelter, has a memorandum of understanding with the animal center as a state vendor. While the department initially offered a rate of $5 per chicken per day, officials now admit that rate is unfeasible.
“They said they’re going to try to go after the post office for recoupment,” Parana noted. “That doesn’t help us in the meantime.”
Negotiations for funding are ongoing, but no money has yet been allocated, leaving the shelter to absorb the costs of caring for thousands of birds.
What Happens Next?
The shelter is continuing to offer the birds for adoption to approved homes. Those interested in supporting the effort are encouraged to donate or adopt through the First State Animal Center and SPCA.
Source Attribution
Information sourced from:
- Freedom Ranger Hatchery
- First State Animal Center and SPCA
- Delaware Department of Agriculture
- Original reporting via Delaware Online / USA Today Network