The Strange Story of Jackson, Michigan’s Mr. Chicken

I recently came across a very odd story about a Rooster named Mr. Chicken who defied the odds and survived a terrible fate, only to meet an even worse one in the end.  The story goes that in December, 1996 a rooster was left outside in a snow storm. But luckily he was found by a local vet, Tim England, but its two feet were frozen to the point where they needed amputation. Tim named him "Mr. Chicken"; and had a physical therapist fashion a pair of acrylic legs and feet for the rooster that would fit his stumps, much like human prosthetics.

Perhaps it was fate that the oddly named Rooster would die a hero to the chickens, and thus becoming a historical figure in the world of living poultry:

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Mr. Chicken became an instant feel-good celebrity. His story was told in Newsweek and in newspapers from South Africa to Hawaii. But only six months later, in June, 1997, Mr. Chicken was mauled to death, probably by a raccoon, as he tried to protect the chickens who shared his pen. He died with his plastic legs on, and that was the way that he was buried, in the animal hospital's flower garden, with a small headstone. "He was a famous little guy," Dr. England said.

This story was so moving apparently someone in South Africa even wrote and sent a poem to the doctor who saved Mr. Chicken, along with hundreds of other letters of sympathy he received. If you want to visit this infamous grave, Mr. Chicken is buried at Crossroads Animal Hospital in Jackson. The grave is to the right of the building, in the back yard, by the interstate.