Brome bantam cockerel left with note asking to be looked after

The owner of a pet cockerel abandoned the animal in a garden with a note asking for him to be looked after.

Chuck, a bantam rooster, was placed over a fence in a garden in Brome, Suffolk, where other chickens were being kept.

The handwritten note asked if they could "find him a new home".

The RSPCA said although the note showed Chuck was "clearly very loved" and a new home had been found, "abandoning an animal is never the right thing to do".

The note left with the cockerel last month said: "We have sadly had to find a new home for our rooster and we haven't had much luck finding a good home for him - we have to move to a very busy area and we can't bring him with us."

It went on to say Chuck had been a pet since the owner had hand-reared him from a chick, that he was very friendly and got on well with other chickens.

However, the note apologised that Chuck had a few scars on his face as he "had a [fight] with our turkey".

"He loves peas and chopped up grapes and I have left some fresh ones," the note concluded.

The RSPCA believes Chuck was left in this particular garden as the householder kept chickens, so Chuck's owner probably hoped they would be able to take the cockerel.

"It is heart-breaking to read the note left with Chuck as he was clearly very loved," said RSPCA inspector, Jessica Dayes.

"But abandoning an animal is never the right thing to do.

"If someone is struggling to cope, there are lots of charities who could help and we would urge anybody in a difficult situation to ask for help."

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