We are saddened to announce the passing of Mango & Clementine. These miraculous hens experienced the worst of humanity before coming to West Place, and we are proud to have given them love, respect, and a place to call home for the past 15 months.

In January of 2024, Mango, Clementine and their sisters were rescued from the set of an online “reality” show in Cumberland, RI. We use quotes, because the true reality is that intelligent, sentient, and emotional animals like Mango and Clementine deserve proper care and dignity. Instead, the show used and abused them for entertainment while tens of thousands of viewers around the globe watched with sickening delight.The hens were purchased from a notorious live butcher shop on Federal Hill in Providence, where they endured horrific conditions as they awaited slaughter.
The show purchased the hens and thought it would be funny to them on unsuspecting contestants inside the home where the show was livestreamed. When the hens were “not funny” enough, they were punched, thrown, and spit on. In a matter of hours, they were exposed to paint fumes and smelling salts, locked in boxes without food or water, and had cigarettes ashes intentionally flicked on them.West Place rescued all 10 hens as the show producers discussed releasing them into the woods or on a highway. We found good homes for 8 of the hens and although we were still under threat of avian flu, West Place became the forever home for Mango and Clementine. They had numerous health problems and had developed a resistance to antibiotics from their butcher shop days. We provided daily care and medical treatment, their first experiences freely roaming on grass, and a natural life that chickens were meant to experience.Their rescue was not easy and we experienced online harassment and even bribery. A member of the show made a “donation” in exchange for a letter stating the chickens were in good health when they arrived at our sanctuary. We refused and returned the donation, which elicited further anger. And although we recorded multiple instances of abuse captured on camera during the show’s live stream, the RI state cruelty investigator never followed through with charges or a proper investigation.Mango and Clementine’s abusers never faced justice. This is the sad REALITY of farm animal welfare, but we did not let that stand in the way of giving these happy, friendly, and grateful hens the best life possible.Rest easy, sweet girls.

