The dedication of some individuals to animals in trouble is remarkable, and the story of Bonnie (pictured above with volunteer Mel) is one that’s worth telling.
Bonnie, a chicken rescued from a battery with one of her legs broken in seven places, is making a miracle recovery from surgery and looking forward to finally starting a new life in Kimbolton as a free range hen.
Bonnie was one of 330 chickens rescued from a battery in Yorkshire on 27 October 2012 by the charity Little Hen Rescue which has bases in Cambridge and Norwich. In common with many of the birds, she was small and largely bald, but the bones in her legs had become particularly weak, causing her right femur to break in seven places so awkwardly that an inch of bone was exposed.
Despite this serious injury, Little Hen Rescue volunteer Mel Lazenby who lives in Kimbolton was determined that Bonnie should still have her chance of a new life so took her to the Cambridge Veterinary Group for surgery.
Defying the odds, Bonnie is now making an excellent recovery. She’s living in Mel’s dining room and has just had her bandages removed. Her stitches will come out shortly but it already appears that she has retained full function in her foot and will be able to rejoin her rescued friends in a run in Mel’s garden in due course.
Mel said: “All the chickens we rescue are special to us so, however badly they’ve been injured, if we can give them a chance we will. Bonnie spent her first year in a battery and we’re so pleased that she will soon finally be able to enjoy a free range life. Veterinary care isn’t free and we couldn’t do what we do without the wonderful people who support our work and who donated to our appeal to fund her treatment. We’re very grateful and know how pleased they’ll all be that she’s doing so well.”
Jo Eglen, Founder of Little Hen Rescue, added: “Rescuing these birds from slaughter and giving them the opportunity of a natural life is incredibly rewarding. While times are tough for charities like us, we are driven to continue because we believe what we’re doing is so important.”
“We’re always looking for homes for the hens we rescue. We currently have 200 waiting for homes and I’m hoping to collect a further 1,000 in early December. If anyone would be interested in taking some of our birds, please contact me on littlehenrescue@aol.com. We’d also be so grateful for donations to support our work.”
More information about Little Hen Rescue can be found at www.littlehenrescue.co.uk
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