In a well-circulated motivational story, a man is walking along the beach littered with dying starfish and encounters a young girl along the way.
He watches silently as she picks up one starfish after the other and tosses them back into the ocean. So he goes up to the girl and asks why she’s even trying – there’s no way she could possibly make a difference with so many starfish stranded along miles and miles of beach.
The girl bends down, picks up another starfish, and tosses it back into the ocean. “It made a difference for that one,”she replied.
The same thinking can be applied to this heartwarming story.
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In March 2017, Warren Padgette was on his way home, traveling along Interstate 5 in southern Washington state, when he noticed the cars ahead of him swerving around something in the road.
That something, it turns out, was a lone chicken that had somehow fallen off a truck destined for a slaughterhouse.
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But instead of swerving like everyone else, he eased up on the gas. When he pulled up alongside the chicken, she blinked at him. So he climbed out of his truck, checked her for any visible injuries, and gently set her in the backseat and headed on home.
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The chicken, who he named Lucky, was in horrible condition at the time, but Warren immediately began nursing her back to health.
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He built her a tiny hen house in the backyard and even took in several more chicks and some goats to keep her company.
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Warren himself, of course, is her favorite companion, and she can often be seen roosting on his shoulder or following him around the homestead.
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“Lucky’s changed my life in seeing how animals are treated and prepared for our table … every time I see a chicken truck going down the road, I wish I could save each and every one of them.â€
Well, like the little girl in the parable, he couldn’t save them all – but he did make an incredible (and lifesaving) difference for one pretty “Lucky”chicken.
Watch the video below to hear more about the beginnings of this sweet friendship, and share to spread more kind acts!
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