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Sweet little Elvis, a tiny Pekin cockerel kept as a pet, was killed by intruders on Andrew Hinkinson's allotment in Yorkshire, England in the night of March 31 or early hours of April 1 2015. Andrew rents the land from his local council. The criminals took Elvis out of his hospital coop - where he'd been kept in isolation on antibiotics, recovering from an injury - and they locked it back up, so the little guy couldn't get back in. Then they released two large cockerels from their coop and let them rip Elvis' throat out. Andrew found his body in the morning where he'd died, right in front of the hospital coop. He'd been desperate to get back to safety, terrified, his way barred.
The cockerels aren't to blame - the intruders are. They knew exactly what they were doing. This was in a town called Skipton. If anyone has any information that may lead to arrests, please contact North Yorkshire Police by dialling 101 within the UK. They are treating it as criminal trespass, criminal damage and animal cruelty.
Over 12,000 people to date have read and shared the story of this senseless killing across social media. Andrew has had thousands of supportive and consoling messages and comments.
All of Andrew's chickens are his pets and many of his hens are rescues from factory farms. He has written a guide to keeping pet chickens that many people find indispensable. His earnings from the book are very little - in common with most authors - and yet, while he struggles to make ends meet each month, he publicises the work of hen rescue organisations and £3 from each sale of the book when bought from his website goes to one of three charities. Buyers choose which one they wish to help.
Andrew actively supports Henpower, a UK charity that provides hens and coops to older people in residential care homes, and every week donates his hens' eggs to monks in the nearby city of Bradford. They are used to feed the homeless.
In Andrew's own words, little Elvis' sadistic killing 'broke' him, coming on top of constant financial pressure and his illness (Andrew was diagnosed late in 2014 with fibromyalgia and reactive arthritis; these chronic pain conditions make life difficult for anyone).
Andrew created social media accounts for chickens as pets three years ago, the most active of which is on Facebook. The group has nearly 8,000 members enjoying a safe, family-friendly space to get help, chat, make friends and share stories, photos and videos. He admins the group along with a team of volunteers. He makes no money for all the energy and time he puts in. He does it because he loves chickens and wants to see their welfare improved and public perceptions of them changed.
After what happened to Elvis, community members decided it was time Andrew got something back for all he has given and continues to give, to people, the charities, and the many hens and cockerels in his care. And so, we all got together and had a discussion (Andrew wasn't involved).
We decided to set up this page in the hope that we can raise enough money to pay for Andrew to get new, highly secure fencing because his local council won't provide this. It isn't cheap but if we manage it, we hope it gives Andrew some faith back in people and the assurance of knowing Elvis' killing led to something good for him and his pet chickens. We also want to remember Elvis with a commemorative metal plate, to go on the fencing, explaining how the fence was funded - and why, in so doing promoting chickens as beautiful, friendly pets.
We have no idea how much we will raise, but we ask you to give generously to benefit a very kind man who, in the words of Barbara Mladek (co-founder of Northern Ireland's only hen rescue charity) has "helped save and improve the lives of thousands of chickens" - and whose own generosity has fed many hungry people down on their luck.
You can read Andrew's account of what happened in his own words.
Thank you for your support, it is really appreciated.
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