WI Couple Says Pet Chicken Saved Them From Fire
By Samantha Abernethy in Food on Dec 31, 2012 4:00PM
Backyard chickens have become popular pets for egg production and eventual meaty meals, but when this Wisconsin couple's chicken didn't lay eggs, they didn't have the heart to eat her.
Dennis Murawska, 59, said he and his wife Susan Cotey, 52, felt sorry for their pet Cluck Cluck and her mutated foot, and they kept her anyway. They brought her into the basement for the chilly Wisconsin night, and early Thursday morning, Cluck Cluck's loud clucking alerted the couple that their house was on fire.
Alma Center Fire Chief Jeff Gaede said the fire started in the attic of the attached garage and was not suspicious. The house was a total loss, but it could have been worse — if not for the chicken."We are used to hearing about a dog or cat or something, but we never heard of a chicken waking up a resident for a fire," Gaede said. "That's pretty amazing."
Murawska and Cotey escaped, and firefighters found Cluck Cluck safe in the basement along with one of their cats. Another cat is presumed dead.