Ricky has found a loving home.
ORIGINAL ADVERT: YOUNG RICKY IS WANTED; BUT NOT ALLOWED
Unscrupulous people cruelly and illegally abandon their unwanted roosters in parks, car parks, on roadsides, motorways and in suburban neighbourhoods.
When a beautiful pure white chicken wandered into a suburban property on New Year’s Day, the residents thought she was a lovely little thing and watched entranced as she settled herself into the neighbouring tree branches to roost each night. It wasn’t long before this quiet little hen had wormed her way into their affections and they could no longer bear to watch her sleep in the trees with the rain falling around her. 
Being kind-hearted souls, they searched Trade Me until they found a custom made coop for her. At 7pm every night she would dutifully wander into the coop and at 7am in the morning she would be let out to free-range exclusively in their garden.
Then one day she began to make the strangest, strangled sounds and they realised their little hen was in fact a cockerel of about 5-6 months. They named him Ricky and as his crow developed, they sadly realised he could not stay in a densely housed area.
Ricky has some endearing qualities which Rose describes: “We love the way he will talk back to us if we talk to him and he gives us a bit of a giggle when he stands at the ranch-slider looking at his reflection and chatting away to himself. I am sure he is telling himself ‘Boy - you are one handsome dude.’ I am wondering if he is a White Leghorn. At this 
stage, he stands about 30 cm tall and while he is getting used to us, he is still very cautious and not interested in close contact. He has shown no interest in leaving the property during the day and he has complete freedom…although I did shoo him out when he decided he might check out the house and came wandering through. Cheeky monkey! We enjoy having Ricky and if he wasn't a rooster, we would be on the lookout for a friend for him”.
Ricky’s human family approached me in the hope that he will be adopted into a kind rural home where he will safely live out his natural lifespan of about 13 years. I do hope someone ideal will come forward. If your property is zoned rural and you and your closest neighbours don’t mind the sound of a rooster crowing, I look forward to your application. Please consider where Ricky will shelter at night and how you will protect him from roaming dogs and low-flying hawks. Adoption criteria applies.
Thank you.
NOTE: If you witness anyone dumping chickens in public places, please note the time & date and write down their car number plate & description. If possible, also take a photograph of the offender(s) and forward all details to the Auckland SPCA so that a prosecution follows. Please inform others that abandoning an animal is cruel and is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act. Offenders can be fined up to $50,000.00, face a 12 month prison term…or both.