I assumed the student was talking about a man dressed in a chicken suit because we are next to the theater department and odd costumes plague the library frequently, but no. When I asked if the chicken was selling anything or making any sort of disturbance she said, "No... it's just a chicken, and I think it is hurt. Is there someone we should call?"
Now dumbstruck I said, "and where is the chicken?" She replied, it's under a bench between here at the next building. She left then to go to her next class, and I was left to deal with a hurt and vaguely located chicken. What was I do to?
I got a printer paper box and poked some holes in the top and ventured out to find the chicken. When I found it all the feathers were gone from its backside and it did seem injured. It was under the concrete bench outside the library. Well I didn't want to pick up the sick chicken, and animal control would never be able to find us on campus. So I did the next best thing...
I called the police.
The conversation went a little like this: "Hi, I don't know if I should be calling you, but I work at the library and student just reported a chicken outside the library. I am with the chicken now. Can you send someone up here it seems to be hurt." The lady at dispatch replied, "I'm sorry... did you say chicken?"
"Yes, I did say chicken. I didn't think that animal control could find us or know where the park."
"Can I have your name and department please?"
After I provided my information and she checked to see I was not a crackpot or at least if I was who to tell the police to pick up instead of the chicken she said, "We are sending someone up to take care of the situation."
In about 15 minutes a man walks up carrying a swimming pool net and says, "I have had many calls to take care of animals in my 17 years here, but never for a chicken." Then he came around the bench, looked at the poor creature and said, "Yep, that's a chicken."
He scooped up the chicken, put it in my printer box and took it away to the university farm.
