A&L Poultry Abandons 50,000 Chickens, Leaves Them For Dead

A&L Poultry could face criminal charges in the coming weeks after an animals right group revealed that the company had abandoned 50,000 chickens, leaving them for dead.

First published in the Modesto Bee authorities were forced to euthanize nearly 48,000 of the chickens, leaving approximately 2,000 to be treated at sanctuaries after which time authorities hope they will be adopted.

After news of the abandonment was discovered A&L issued a formal apology. The company claims that they planned to to ship the chicken’s to a third party.

“An attempt to arrange for delivery of the chickens to a third party in order to avoid the usual business practice of euthanizing the chickens” led to the problem A&L said in a statement.

Many of the birds that were healthy enough to survive were taken in by the New York-based group Farm Sanctuary and that organization plans to seek criminal charges against A&L Poultry owner Andy Keung Cheung. The group will seek charges of animal cruelty and neglect.

In a letter to the local Sheriff’s office in  Modesto, Calif. Farm Sanctuary wrote:

“The responsible party or parties subjected each bird to unnecessary and unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, and death.”

Do you think A&L should face animal cruelty charges?