Why did the chick cross the road? To be rescued by the RSPCA!

Tiny chick rescued from middle of busy Lancashire road by charity officer ends up with new home and new playmate!
Rollo the rescue chickRollo the rescue chick
Rollo the rescue chick

The RSPCA had a fitting call just days before Easter - to rescue a chick stranded in the middle of a busy road.

The tiny, fluffy chick was found by a worried woman who fears he had fallen off the back of a passing lorry.

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She called the RSPCA and animal collection officer (ACO) Shannon McGrath was dispatched to Haslingden Road, Rossendale, to collect the little bird.

Rollo the rescue chickRollo the rescue chick
Rollo the rescue chick

“The woman scooped up the frightened little bird and confined him in a box before calling us,” ACO McGrath explained.

“She was walking to her home and saw him in the middle of the busy road all alone so she ran over to pick him up and then gave him some water and kept him warm in some newspaper and towels.

“It was a really wet and windy day, and was also quite foggy, so it’s lucky she spotted the little bird otherwise he almost certainly would have been killed by another vehicle.”

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The officer made enquiries locally to find out if anyone knew anything about the young chicken, found on 12 April, and her colleague ACO John Greaves took the little chick home with him to Queensbury, in Bradford, to care for him.

Rollo the rescue chickRollo the rescue chick
Rollo the rescue chick

“The little chick - who I’ve named Rolo - was very cold and weak when he first arrived, I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it through the night,” said ACO Greaves.

“When I collected him from my colleague I put him under my shirt to keep him warm and try to slowly raise his body temperature. I sat up with him all night, drip feeding him little and often.”

Thankfully, little Rolo grew stronger so ACO Greaves decided he needed a friend and went out to get chick companion, Wispa, from a local farm in Accrington.

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The chicks, both of which are getting bigger and stronger each day, will go out into the garden with ACO Greaves’ eight other rescue hens once they’re old enough.

If nobody comes forward to claim little Rolo, he will stay with ACO Greaves and his flock.

If you find an animal in distress, please report it to the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency line by calling 0300 1234 999.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give or text LOVE to 87023 to give £3 (Text costs £3 + one standard network rate message).

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