After being informed of an odd squawking noise during the morning shift last Thursday, 7-Eleven clerk Laurie Smith went to the back of the convenience store on Brunswick’s Maine Street to investigate.

“I was shocked,” Smith, a Brunswick resident, said. “I opened it up, he jumped out and he started cock-a-do-ing.”

With help from customer and Brunswick local Christopher Kesney, the two uncovered a large, 20-pound healthy black rooster, alone, stuck inside a dumpster. At first, the bird was contained within a plastic lobster crate, but soon got loose.

“We both looked at each other, like, ‘What are we going to do about this?'” Kesney said. “When a rooster (puffs) itself out, it’s pretty intimidating.”

Soon after, Brunswick police as well as Lisbon local Shane Conant, who keeps chickens, arrived at the store. Conant, with help from the group, was eventually able to corral, catch and calm the bird after what was, apparently, quite a battle.

“I did get a scratch on the nose out of the deal,” Conant said.

According to Lieutenant Lynne Doucette, one of the responding officers, the rooster was likely dropped off, presumably unwanted by somebody. “They just discarded it there, which is very unfortunate and sad,” Doucette said.

For this rooster, recently named Bevy, everything ended up alright and the bird is now living amongst 17 other chickens in Lisbon. As it turns out, however, rooster abandonment is a larger, statewide issue.

In fact, according to Melissa Andrews, the director of development, humane education and outreach at Peace Ridge Sanctuary, the incident in Brunswick last week is much more common than most people realize.

“We can’t take in as many as we’re being asked to take,” said Andrews, noting that each year the sanctuary gets hundreds of requests to take in roosters. “There are very few days that pass we don’t get called about roosters.”

Peace Ridge Sanctuary is a non-profit located in Brooks that takes in abused farm animals. As of Monday, the sanctuary is home to 410 animals, about two dozen of which are rescued roosters.

According to Andrews, many abandoned roosters come from people who initially believed that they had purchased only female, egg-laying, hens. However, since the sex of the hatchlings can be very difficult to determine early on, as they grow, buyers frequently end up with unexpected roosters.

This, combined with restrictive town ordinances as well as the traits of noise and aggression, can often lead owners to abandoning roosters — whether it be in the woods, placing it in a dumpster or some other method.

In Maine, abandonment of an animal is a Class D crime, publishable by up to 364 days incarceration and a $2,000 fine. If the animal dies because of the abandonment, it is a Class C crime, punishable by up to five years of incarceration and a $5,000 fine.

“We don’t live in a society that deems animals worthy if they don’t have a use for us,” Andrews said, pointing out the increasing number of municipal ordinances in Maine that make owning a rooster illegal.

In Brunswick, the town’s domesticated chicken ordinance does not allow people to own a rooster in a growth — that is, a more-urban — zone. The ordinance, which is designed to limit “potential adverse impacts” on neighbors, does allow residents to keep six female chickens in growth zones.

“There’s just no place for these little roosters, but they exist,” Andrews said. “It’s a hard one.”

According to Brunswick’s Chief of Police Scott Stewart, the town saw a few instances of rooster abandonment last summer and, in Freeport, which contracts with Brunswick’s animal control, there were three recorded instances last year.

Stewart said that when an abandoned rooster is found, animal control is usually able to find a local farmer to take the bird in. If that doesn’t work, Stewart added, animal control will reach out to Mid Coast Humane, a local animal shelter in Brunswick.

Liam Hughes, the director of animal welfare with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, said that there is currently no statistical tracking for rooster abandonment cases.

“There are options out there available for people if they do find themselves in position with an animal that they don’t want,” said Hughes. “The first thing that they need to do is check with their local animal shelter.”

Hughes also said that reaching out to local animal control officers could be an option and, above all, recommended that people try to be as informed and educated as possible before purchasing chickens.

“Most of the problems are being caused by people that don’t understand what is required of them to have a healthy, happy flock of birds,” Hughes added.

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