In 2017, police officers in Portland, Oregon, received a strange call.
“There’s a chicken. In the middle of the road. And it won’t move.”
When they arrived, they found a very assertive Rhode Island Red chicken clucking wildly and blocking morning traffic near a school zone.
Officers tried everything: flashing lights, sirens, even breadcrumbs. But the chicken refused to budge. Commuters were honking, and the bird just strutted in circles, seemingly defiant.
Eventually, an officer approached on foot with a towel and carefully snatched the bird. It was taken to a nearby animal shelter, where staff dubbed her “Rebel Hen.”
Here’s where it gets better.
Two days later, someone posted bail — metaphorically speaking. A local 9-year-old girl named Mia recognized the chicken from her backyard.
“She always runs away,” Mia said, “but she doesn’t like cars. Maybe she was protesting pollution.”
Mia’s family took Rebel Hen home, and she quickly became a local celebrity. She even got her own reflective vest to wear during “supervised walks.”
The city’s social media page later posted:
“The chicken has been released. She will no longer cross roads unsupervised.”
