|
Legless chicken struts again
March 29, 1997
Web posted at: 4:59 p.m. EST (2159 GMT)
JACKSON, Michigan (CNN) -- Dr. Timothy England's patient lost part of his legs to frostbite last winter, but the doctor vowed that he would walk again. And he has.
England's patient, a scrappy 4-pound rooster named Mr. Chicken, now wears two prosthetic legs, created by physical therapist Gordon Allen of Battle Creek.
"He does what a normal chicken should do, an he can outrun any of us," England said.
Legless chicken
864K/22 sec. QuickTime movie
Allen's prosthetics, constructed of the same material used to make splints for humans, fit snugly over the bird's stumps, and are removed at night to prevent sores. Allen calls his creations -- the fourth design he tried -- "Air Gordons."
Jackson resident Chris Gilzow captured Mr. Chicken with a fishing net in her yard on a bitterly cold day last December. She turned him over to England, who went to work on his irreparable legs.
Mr. Chicken has become a worldwide celebrity since a local newspaper article last February brought the public eye to Jackson.
"We have letters from London, Paris, the West Coast, East Coast, Texas, Florida, Washington," England said. "A woman from South Africa wrote a little poem about Mr. Chicken, and a man from California sent a check for $8 for his care."
No one claimed the once-homeless rooster, who now lives at England's Crossroads Animal Hospital.
|
Tell us what you think! You said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.