Maureen Ward held on tight Friday to one of the few “showgirl chickens” she has left after a dog got onto her Nanaimo hobby farm and went wild Monday.
“The dead bodies were everywhere,” said Maureen Ward, a Nanaimo resident and hobby farmer.
The dog killed 28 of her prized, rare and beloved exotic chickens with head-turning hair-dos and show names that included Dolly, Elvis, and Cher.
“It’s heartbreaking. I raised them from babies. Most of them were hatched here,” said Ward.
Feathers still litter the coop and Ward still remembers hearing the sounds of growling during the incident.
“The growl and bark he was making was unrecognizable, I wasn’t even sure it was a dog at the time. I thought, is this a bear I’m opening this up to?” Ward said.
Ward called RCMP and Animal Control, who captured the dog.
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It belonged to a neighbour who the dog has since been returned to, though now with a dangerous dog designation, requiring it to be muzzled and leashed anytime it’s outdoors.
The Regional District of Nanaimo also told CHEK News the owner was issued $450 in fines, however, the hobby farmer just wants her showgirl chickens back.
“The next day I actually went out and cleaned the snow because it was too devastating to come out, and see it,” said Ward, who lives on the farm.
“People think they were chickens, but they were pets,” said Ward.
The Nanaimo woman hopes her story encourages people to keep their dogs under control.
Skye Ryan
