Hey, there! We're an animal rescue couple with a microsanctuary located in Seattle, WA. This fundraiser is to support ongoing care for our house chicken, June, who we rescued from a slaughterhouse in the fall of 2018.

June is not your average chicken. Actually, she's more like a big floofy house cat. Because of the dangerous bird flu outbreak, & other medical conditions she is currently battling, June spends her days inside our safe & spacious apartment. She's chatty, snuggly, playful, & honestly- our emotional support chicken during these dark times. (Who rescued who, right?)

June is a Cornish Cross hen- the breed of chicken most commonly raised for meat. She was born in an industrial hatchery & lived in a factory farm until she was about 42 days old (the age when chickens like her are slaughtered for meat). She somehow, miraculously, escaped from the hands of her would-be killers when she was transported to a pop-up slaughterhouse on a sidewalk in Brooklyn, NY. Some animal rights activists protesting the slaughterhouse spotted her hiding beneath the tires of a semi-truck loaded with crates full of other chickens who were brutally killed. Maddie, our microsanctuary founder, was there at the scene & stepped in to help. As the semi truck began to pull away, Maddie alerted the driver to stop & dove under the truck to scoop up June & two other scared & desperate chickens. One rescued chicken went on to live at Farm Sanctuary, another was placed at a sanctuary in eastern WA, & June was immediately adopted by Maddie who took her home to help her heal.

At the time of her rescue, June was starving. She had been pecking at the dead & discarded carcasses of other slaughtered birds beneath the truck in order to survive. June, & the other thousands of birds who were shipped to Brooklyn with her, were left in stacked crates without food or water for several days. June was also anemic & had a gash on the back of her head- most likely due to larger birds picking on her due to stress in the overcrowded crate she was transported in. She had large bruises on her legs, likely due to rough handling by slaughterhouse workers. And she had a severed toe hanging on by just a thread of skin, with bone exposed, at serious risk of becoming fatally infected. June received immediate medical care at the rescue site by Maddie & a trusted team of triage & rescue volunteers, & was fully evaluated & treated later that day by a board certified avian veterinarian team at a specialty care animal hospital.

Despite her rough start in life, June has made a full recovery.

There's a myth in the agricultural world that Cornish Cross chickens like June can't possibly live past 6 months old. Many farmers believe that it is cruel to let them live past their slaughter age of just 7 weeks. This belief comes from the way these chickens are genetically bred to gain a monumental amount of weight as quickly as possible. Because of this rapid weight gain as chicks, many birds like June suffer from severe health conditions like septic arthritis & heart attacks. But as we know, and our fellow Cornish Cross rescuers & caregivers know- these birds can thrive just like all other chickens. They only require a simple diet to avoid excessive weight gain, & need access to proper care by a knowledgable avian veterinarian when vet care is necessary. Despite the myth that chickens like June should be killed before they turn six months old to avoid a life of suffering, June just turned 7 YEARS OLD in early August, 2025.

June has been through many ups & downs on her health journey since being rescued as a small & still peeping 42 day old chick. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with avian leukosis as well as a rare form of skin cancer. More recently, she was also treated for mycoplasma- a bacteria that causes chronic respiratory issues. All three of these conditions have no complete cure, but her symptoms are all manageable. If you were here with us, hanging out with June today, you wouldn't be able to detect any signs of ill health. She's feeling great, & living a full & happy life.

June loves gobbling up daily treats of watermelon & oats. She joins Maddie for yoga every day & preens on a blanket next to the yoga mat until it's time to snuggle up for shavasana. She stays cozy in fluffy towel nests we make for her throughout the house, & loves sunbathing on the front porch. June is thriving. Her survival, & her long & happy life, are a daily reminder of the presence of miracles. It is quite stunning that she managed to escape a slaughterhouse, she successfully hid until rescuers could find her, & she safely landed in the care of a family that is just as committed to her long term health & happiness as if she were any other beloved dog, cat, or more common companion animal.

This fundraiser is a celebration of June's long & happy life, & the inspiring story she carries with her.

All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go into a savings account to pay for her ongoing care including food, supplies, & future medical costs. As a cancer survivor, June requires regular check ups with her primary avian vet & occasional treatments to help manage her symptoms. We always want to be prepared for any emergency care costs as well, which can get very expensive quite quickly (as any rescuer or sanctuary caregiver knows all too well). Our current fundraising goal is $10,000. Successfully raising this amount will ensure that we can afford any sudden & extensive care costs in June's future, as well as help us manage her existing medical bills.

Thank you so much for donating to June's fundraiser! Please, share this with your social circles to help us continue to give June the long & happy life she deserves.

Our long term goal is to eventually start a non-profit organization, inspired by June, to help educate others about Cornish Cross chickens. Our hope is to eradicate the myth that birds like June can't live long & happy lives, & to help other compassionate folks provide safe & loving homes for more chickens like her. When this dream gets closer to becoming a reality, we will start a separate fundraiser for launching the non-profit. But successfully raising funds for June's long term care helps us get much closer to tackling those larger goals!

Your support means the world to us. June says thank you, too!

With gratitude,

Maddie & Andrew