In mourning for their pet chicken, one family decided to honor her with an obituary in their local paper.
Pet owners deal with pet loss in many different ways. Some hold funerals, others post on social media, and some create memorials to their pets. When one family's beloved pet chicken passed away, they honored her with an obituary in their local newspaper.
Big Mama's obituary appeared in The Eagle newspaper, published in Bryan, Texas, just outside of College Station. Big Mama, a Rhode Island Red Chicken, lived to the age of six. And it's obvious that she was very much loved and lived a beautiful life.
According to Big Mama's obituary, she was originally raised as a pet chicken in a Houston apartment. When her owners took her to a vet to be euthanized, the vet instead offered to rehome her. Stephanie Sword, her husband Gregory, and their two sons stepped in and offered Big Mama a home. The trip home was an interesting one, as the family had to smuggle Big Mama into their hotel room. But the beloved chicken quickly became a treasured member of the family.
The Swords explained that Big Mama died in her sleep on Sunday, a dignified ending. She was found in her favorite spot in the chicken coop.
And so, the Swords honored the family chicken with this touching obituary.
A family chicken worthy of an obituaryhttps://t.co/YqYCx7B6XQ pic.twitter.com/qWKs8zMAH4
— The Eagle (@theeagle) January 23, 2018
The Sword family never imagined that Big Mama's obituary would garner so much attention, but hope that the story will remind others that every life is worth saving.
According to the obituary, Big Mama had "24-7" love and enjoyed being a member of a flock (Bubbles, Runt, Ms. S, Funky, Lucky, and Blondie). To be surrounded by a loving family and have the best care and company? It sounds like Big Mama was one lucky chicken, indeed.
Have you ever had to say goodbye to a beloved pet? How did you cope with the loss?
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