By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A video showing live baby chicks discarded in a dumpster at the Clarksville Rural King (1141 Fort Campbell Blvd.) is swiftly going viral.
The video was posted March 20 on Facebook by Karen Parker. It has since received nearly 65,000 views.
Parker’s description claims that the chicks were still alive, but had been left in the dumpster at Rural King. The animals can be heard making noises in the video.
ClarksvilleNow.com reporters inspected the dumpster in question, which has the same decal and other identifying marks as those in the video.
Rural King’s General Manager Larry McClure confirmed the incident.
“As soon as I found out about it I took immediate action to rectify the problem,” McClure said.
He told ClarksvilleNow.com that an employee “took it upon herself” to dispose of the injured chicks in the dumpster, but stressed that this is not their practice.
The individual is no longer employed at Rural King.
McClure said Rural King treats wounded or sick chicks in what they refer to as a ‘chick hospital’ in the back of the store.
“We take extreme measures to try to keep the chicks alive,” he said.
Karen Parker, who is a frequent Rural King shopper, found the chicks in the dumpster while her vehicle was parked in the back of the store to load the feed she had just purchased.
She said she heard them making noises and scrambled to rescue them when she saw they had been discarded in the trash.
Of the 15 chicks she found, eight were still alive.
“I saw them in there screaming and flopping around. I cannot believe how mad I was,” she said. “It’s ridiculous that they don’t care anymore.”
Parker brought the chicks home with her in an attempt to nurse them back to health. By the next morning, all of them had died.
“They threw those babies in the garbage just because they don’t have time for them. For that to be acceptable is wrong. It’s not acceptable in my book,” she said.
Parker said this is not the first time she has seen animals at Rural King in poor condition.
“This is not my first rodeo with them. They have done this and done this,” she said. “When they mistreat something that can’t protect itself, it’s just wrong.”
She said she has been in touch with Rural King’s corporate office and is waiting for a response.
Director of Montgomery County Animal Control Jeanette Farrell said citizens can call Animal Control in these types of situations.
“Anytime someone sees something like that and they’re concerned we will respond and get them necessary veterinary treatment. No animal should have to suffer,” she said.
Farrell is currently researching this particular incident to determine whether the chicks are considered birds, which would classify them as companion animals, or livestock (fowl) under state law.
See the video below:
A Facebook page titled “Rural King: Please stop selling live animals” mentions several alleged incidents involving the treatment of live animals at Rural King stores, including the situation in Clarksville.
Many people have expressed outrage on social media, saying this is not an isolated incident and sharing comments and photos. See a video compilation of some of these complaints below: