He might not look like an animal you could love, but I love him the most. This is Roo.

If we speak outside of online, you've heard about him. If you've been to my house, you know. He is my Roo, but to him - I am his rooster.

Roo has had a spoiled life but that hasn't made it an easy one. A month ago, Roo had such a bad eye infection that the vets thought he had avian flu. I swore he had pink eye. The vet swore chickens don't get pink eye. I asked for the treatment for pink eye and they handed me oral antibiotics and eye drops... for a rooster. And told me again that it wasn't pink eye.

Roo made a full recovery from his pink eye and had been doing great except for the mites he gets from refusing to stop protecting the flock long enough to dirt bathe himself. So I started doing it for him. Dirt batheing my rooster, yes. And all the mites are gone.

Yesterday Tiny, my other rooster started freaking out and when I ran outside, he was the only one of six chickens left in the yard. The story from here is horrible. All I know is I am so grateful for Joey who never gave up looking and my neighbor Alex who beat his dog until it let go of Roo.

We found him under a log, all his tail feathers violently ripped from his body. Terrified. Joey called out to me "I've got Roo, he's alive" I blindly and barefoot took off though the woods towards his voice.

All six chickens are still alive. Some how, against all odds again. We are so damn lucky.

But my poor sweet baby is beyond worse for wear. He is stuck in shock and definitely in pain. Aspirin is all he can have. Aspirin and all the love he wants from me. And since the odds were never in our favor anyway - I have no idea what happens from here.

But if you could spend one second today just KNOWING that Roo will be okay - it would mean everything to me. Say a little prayer for Roo 💜