North Vancouver family pleads for return of stolen pet chicken
A $200 reward has been posted for the safe return of Snowflake
A North Vancouver family is offering a $200 reward for the safe return of its pet chicken, Snowflake, whose theft in the early hours of Saturday morning was captured by multiple cameras.
The video shows two men breaking into the well-secured chicken coop at precisely 3:24 a.m. PT.
The pair are bare-chested, with their shirts tied around their heads in a presumed attempt to hide their identity.
One person enters the chicken coop, hesitates, then snatches Snowflake in a flurry of feathers, while his accomplice waits at the door.
Snowflake's co-owner Ryan Mills says the images of the birdnapping has him worried for the hen's well-being.
"[He] reached out, grabbed her roughly by the legs, possibly injuring her in the process, and they walked away with her fighting the whole way," said Mills. "When you see someone roughly handling a beloved pet, anger is the first emotion you have."
Mills's partner Lindi Smith said in an email the theft was captured on three different security cameras.
"The boys saw the cameras, looked straight into them and didn't care as they had obscured their faces, and took our sweet girl anyway," said Smith.
"We are trying everything to get our sweet girl home. She is extremely tame, friendly and inquisitive. She's an elder and hasn't laid for years but is a loved and valued family member."
Smith, who is six months pregnant, has been handing out flyers door-to-door, to spread the word about Snowflake's disappearance.
Many people, she says, have suggested the theft may be some sort of grad prank, part of a scavenger hunt or even a TikTok challenge.
Smith says Snowflake's three coop companions are equally upset.
"We are desperate to get her home to her chicken family, who miss her very much," she said. "The four girls are a tight-knit group and her best chicken friend wouldn't stop crying out for her for hours."
Smith said she's kept chickens for more than a decade, without issue, and described the coop as "Fort Knox against predators."
"I just never thought I'd have to have security against people," she said. "We are shocked, appalled and heartbroken."
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