CAMDEN, DE - The First State Animal Center and SPCA has confirmed the remaining birds who survived a serious USPS shipping mishap have all been adopted.
About 12,000 birds were discovered earlier this month stranded at a distribution center in New Castle County without food, water, or temperature control for days. The chicks originated from a Pennsylvania-based hatchery and were bound for destinations across the country.
Many of those birds, including young quail, ducks, geese, and chicks, perished.
The survivors were then brought to the First State Animal Center and SPCA in Camden, who were then faced with the monumental task of caring for the thousands of chicks and finding them new homes.
“Our job is to take care of these animals when they get here,” First State Animal Center and SPCA Director John Parana told WBOC. “And that’s what we’re doing. As of this morning, we have the majority of these birds looking to be in really good condition, because of the efforts of the team.”
Parana’s and his team’s efforts to save as many birds as possible are now complete. On May 23, Parana confirmed the final batch of chicks at the rescue had been adopted on Thursday. The last group was taken in at a rescue farm in Pennsylvania, Parana tells WBOC.
Parana says he received around 2,000 calls daily from people looking to adopt the birds or help.
However, an unanswered question about monetary support from Delaware remains. The rescue and the Delaware Department of Agriculture had previously agreed that the SPCA would take and care for animals with daily stipends per bird from the Department of Ag. Due to the sheer number of birds rescued in this situation, the Department of Agriculture said they financially could not provide the usual rates to the shelter but would negotiate a new Memorandum of Understanding with Parana.
As of May 23, Parana says he has received no update from the Department of Ag. Should an agreement not be reached by June 1, Parana says he will sever the First State Animal Center and SPCA’s relationship with the Department.
How the birds were stranded at the USPS distribution center in the first place remains unclear. WBOC reached out to the Postal Service.
"We are aware of limited instances where there has been a breakdown in our processes and procedures with this type of shipment and we are actively investigating and identifying a cause" USPS spokesman Mark Lawrence said. "Local postal teams will work with affected customers to address their concerns and determine timely solutions for any issues with these shipments."
Lawrence went on to say USPS apologizes to customers who have experienced issues with their shipments.