The City of Salem and the Oregon Department of Transportation officially turned down PETA's request to place a massive chicken statue at a crash site.
PETA’s dream of erecting a memorial statue was recently crushed. The City of Salem and the Oregon Department of Transportation officially turned down the request to place a massive chicken statue at a crash site.
On July 9th of this year, a truck that was carrying over 5,000 chickens overturned and spilled the birds onto the street. It is suspected the truck driver was speeding while taking a turn.
Hundreds of chickens died as a result. When PETA learned of the crash, the organization quickly took action and proposed placing a 5½-foot-tall, 250-pound statue at the site.
The chicken’s appearance couldn’t be described as attractive, but it certainly garnered attention. The bird stood on crutches and it was covered in blood. A Band-Aid was stuck to its belly.
In a letter sent to Salem’s traffic engineer, a PETA spokesperson noted “We hope that our statue will let people know that the best way to prevent crashes such as this one is to go vegan, because chickens shouldn't have to make the terrifying trip to the slaughterhouse at all.”
Oregon traffic authorities conculded the statue would distract drivers and therefore would serve as a safety hazard.
