Meet ‘Chester,’ the Lynn Rooster Someone Spray-Painted Orange

The MSPCA is cleaning him up, hoping to find him a new home.

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The MSPCA isn’t sure why it happened—all they know is that on Wednesday, an impossibly orange rooster was spotted trotting down the road in Lynn, and that, upon seeing the strange fowl, an unnamed stranger called animal control, who brought him to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ outpost in Methuen, Nevins Farm.

Animal handlers there determined that the one-year-old bird, who they have since named “Chester,” had been coated “from beak to toe” in cheese-dust-colored spray-paint.

“We’ve taken in thousands of roosters in our 100 years of operation but this is the first time anyone can recall a bird painted orange from head to toe,” says Julia Pesek, Nevins Farm’s community outreach coordinator. “It’s impossible to know who did this and why but the most important thing to us is that he’s seemingly healthy and very adoptable—once we correct his bad dye job!”

“Chester” is being housed in a makeshift coop, staff members say, as the barn where they care for rescued animals currently has 140 roosters in it and is over capacity.

Rob Halpin, MSPCA spokesman, says the rooster trusts humans and enjoys being held (the term for this is “hand friendly”), so it’s likely whoever decided to thoroughly douse his feathers with paint had little trouble doing so.

“He seems in good health and has no other adverse reaction to the paint job,” Hapin says in an email. “We’re slowly washing and drying him… to expedite the return to his normal color.”

Those interested in taking in a de-oranged “Chester” for the holidays, and with enough room to let him roam around their yard, can email the MSPCA at [email protected] Their staff stresses that there are many such birds in their care, who haven’t been abused in such a bizarre way but could also use a decent home.