NonilexMay 19, 2025

Shipment of thousands of #chicks found abandoned in #USPS truck now overwhelming an #AnimalShelter

A #Delaware animal shelter is trying to care for & rehome thousands of chicks that survived being left in a USPS truck for 3 days. Trapped in a warm enclosure, without food & water, thousands died before they were discovered.

Involved parties are still awaiting answers as to how 12k chicks were abandoned in the truck at a Delaware mail distribution center.

#AnimalCruelty
https://apnews.com/article/usps-abandon-chicks-thousands-nokill-814a2694d2aad29a7ebb6dbf0a1cebe3

Thousands of chickens survive USPS shipment snafu

More than 12,000 chicks at a Delaware distribution center were found left in a USPS truck for more than three days. Trapped in a warm enclosure without food and water, thousands of the young birds died before they were discovered and delivered to a shelter equipped to care for them. The involved parties are still awaiting answers as to how the chicks were abandoned within a Delaware mail distribution center. The United States Postal Service said in an email that it was aware of a process breakdown and was actively investigating. Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery raised the chicks for distribution to clients across the country but said it cannot take them back due to biosecurity concerns.

AP News
Show threadNonilexMay 19, 2025

The #USPS said in an email that it was aware of a process breakdown & was actively investigating what occurred.

Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery raised the #chicks for their weekly distribution to clients across the country, said a spox for the company. Due to biosecurity concerns, the hatchery cannot take the chicks back.

#AnimalCruelty

Show threadNonilexMay 19, 2025

The spox said it would have been best if #USPS, after discovering the #chicks, had completed delivery as the recipients would have been adequately equipped to handle the #birds — even malnourished ones.

For more than two weeks, the surviving chicks have been nursed and cared for at First State Animal Center & #SPCA, said John Parana, executive director.

#AnimalCruelty
https://fsac-spca.org/

First State Animal Center

Show threadNonilex

Last Tues, the shelter began offering the #birds for #adoption, but only a few hundred out of thousands have been picked up. There is no complete count of the #chicks, as the shelter has no feasible way to do so, but Parana estimates there to be more than two thousand available.

Some have inquired about buying the birds for meat, but, as a #NoKillShelter & #SPCA, those were refused.

#AnimalCruelty

May 19, 2025 at 8:19pmWeb
Show threadNonilexMay 19, 2025

The strain has turned the animal care center into a 24/7 operation & necessitated a staffing increase. Money remains the biggest concern for the donation-reliant nonprofit. Employees have begun spending their money to support ops.

Among the #birds were young #turkeys, #geese & #quail, but the vast majority were #FreedomRanger #chicks. One concern for the shelter, Parana explained, was the increasing demand for space & feed, as Freedom Rangers take about 10 wks to reach maturity.

#AnimalCruelty

Show threadNonilexMay 19, 2025

The #Delaware Dept of Agriculture, after a call from #USPS, directed the animals to the shelter, which shares a memorandum of understanding with the animal center as a state vendor. The dept said it is responsible for assisting the shelter w/funds—for #chickens, the rate was $5/day.

The dept’s chief of planning, Jimmy Kroon, said negotiations were ongoing, but Parana claims that the dept communicated that they had no funds to allocate for the #chicks.

#AnimalCruelty

Show threadNonilexMay 19, 2025

Both acknowledged the original rate would be unreasonable in the current circumstances.

“They said that they’re gonna try to go after the post office to get recoupment,” Parana said. “That doesn’t help us in the meantime.”

#USPS #AnimalCruelty #chicks
https://fsac-spca.org/ways-to-give/

Ways To Give – First State Animal Center

Show threadRaymond W GallacherMay 19, 2025
@Nonilex
This is awful. I find this heartbreaking. I avoid meat now and I think possibly eggs in the future. Luckily I live in a country where farming is still traditional and eggs are free range and mostly organic.