Rocky
Rocky was the first ex-fighter we rescued. He came to Rooster Haus Rescue in 2016 after 48 birds were seized in a cockfighting bust. Due to his age, he was likely being used for breeding after enduring years of being forced to fight. Sadly, he had the physical scars to prove this: his comb and wattles were cut off, and he was missing one eye.
Rocky was the rooster who showed us how incredible and sweet these misunderstood ex-fighters can be. He was charming, bold, intriguing, and incredibly wise. He was a nurturing and loving caretaker to his family of two hens, Willa and Hettie.
In May 2020, after enduring various health struggles, Rocky passed away, leaving a huge void at the sanctuary and in our hearts. He touched so many lives with his gentle personality. We will never stop advocating for underdogs like Rocky.
Mr. Sunshine (aka Sunny)
Mr. Sunshine was the unfortunate byproduct of an elementary school hatchery program. Once the lesson was over, he was dumped on someone who wasn’t allowed to have roosters. When Rooster Haus Rescue became aware that he needed somewhere safe to land, we stepped in and welcomed him to the sanctuary. Sunny spent his first few years with us watching over his flock of five silly Cornish roosters who were rescued from being slaughtered in a Kaporos ritual. In 2022, he was diagnosed with avian leukosis, a serious but often mysterious illness that can affect chickens in different ways. Due to his health struggles, he moved indoors, where he currently enjoys the company of our other indoor residents. Sunny loves nothing more than to cozy up by a warm fire on cold winter days.
Reginald (aka Reggie)
We rescued Reggie in 2019 after he was abandoned to fend for himself in the middle of the winter. Once he was safe in our care, we found that he was in terrible shape: infested with lice and mites, stinking of rotten flesh, and missing the tips of his toes due to frostbite. After receiving months of vet care and love, Reggie blossomed into the amazing rooster he is today.
Reggie initially lived indoors, where it was easier for him to get around with his injured feet. After a few years of healing, we tried moving him to an outdoor enclosure, and he absolutely thrived! He’s a great friend to all of the other residents, and he’s one of our best rooster ambassadors, often accompanying us to public events to show people just how awesome roosters are.
Mary
Mary, an ex-battery hen, was one of the many billions of victims of the egg industry. Not long after arriving at the sanctuary, she began to show subtle signs of reproductive disease, which is all too common in hens who are bred to be egg-laying machines. After discovering that Mary had nearly two pounds of cooked, rotten egg matter stuck inside of her, she successfully underwent a full spay.
While Mary recovered from her surgery, we learned that she loved spending time indoors… which is where she ended up living for the remainder of her life. Mary enthusiastically greeted everyone who visited the Haus. She enjoyed snuggling up with the other residents, and she could often be found in the kitchen looking for snacks. Even though Mary was spayed and continued to receive regular reproductive care, she eventually succumbed to reproductive disease in 2020.
Cricket
Cricket found her way to Rooster Haus Rescue after losing her left leg in a raccoon attack. When we stepped in, her injury had been left untreated for nearly a week, but we could see that she was still full of life. After receiving the medical attention she desperately needed, Cricket quickly adjusted to life at the sanctuary. She now lives with her best duck friend, Skeeter, and gets to enjoy unlimited pool time and all the veggies she can eat.
Al & Pietra
When we first moved to our current property, we were welcomed by a beautiful peacock who loved to hang around us. We learned that he was a stray, so we happily took him in. Months later, as we entered our first spring with him, Al went missing. Our neighbors confirmed that he did this every spring, in search of a mate, but we were worried sick. We searched for days, but couldn’t find him.
Al eventually found his way back to us, and we decided we needed to find him a mate to keep him from wandering. One of our neighbors who knew we’d been searching for Al happened to know of a peahen who desperately needed a home. Two days later, Pietra arrived at the sanctuary.
It was love at first sight. Al followed Pietra up to the rafters, never taking his eyes off her. When he was finally close enough, he reached his neck out and gently pecked at her cheeks, giving her sweet, soft grooming kisses. She closed her eyes as if she was melting into them. He stopped and she pecked his cheek back, and he too closed his eyes in total bliss. They ‘kissed’ and stared at each other for what seemed like hours. It had us in tears. They didn’t leave one another’s side in their many years together, until Pietra unfortunately passed away in 2022. Life without Pietra has been a huge adjustment for Al, but he’s recently found an unlikely friendship with another peacock named Bronson.
Remo
Remo is blind, deaf, and feral. He was confiscated from a horrendous puppy mill where he lived crammed in a dark shed with numerous dogs, surrounded in feces and urine for an estimated 7 years. He never knew the feeling of human touch in all those years.
We opened our sanctuary to Remo in 2018. Since then, he has learned to trust the immediate humans in his life, and loves spending time with his dog friends. He is still wary of strangers, but he’s settled into a comfortable routine and makes a little more progress every day.
