Who Abandoned The Roosters?

Los Gatos resident Chigiy Binell found two abandoned exotic roosters Sunday afternoon near the Rowing Club's boathouse on Alma Bridge Road overlooking Lexington Reservoir.

Now she and her neighbor, who is temporarily caring for the birds, don't know what to do with them. They're also wondering who would leave the beautiful feathered friends out to fend for themselves in the town's back country.

Binell said she thinks the roosters could be Silkies or a cross between the Standard Brahma and Araucana breeds.

The Los Gatos Patch columnist and avid blogger said she found the birds after driving around the back side of Lexington Reservoir after dropping off her son at the boathouse.

"It was raining and they just stood there hudled together in the rain waiting for whoever dropped them off to come back. I thought it was sad so I called my husband and told him about them and he took my youngest son and went and picked them up against my better judgement," Binell said. "Now we are stuck with these two gorgeous roosters.

"We can't keep them because the dogs I watch will eat them."

Binell has a dog sitting business and explained that's the reason she gave the birds to a friend who cares for chickens but she wants to give them to animal control officials or another organization who might get them adopted.

"Dogs and roosters don’t mix," Binell lamented. "I am almost positive that someone dumped them because they are young. They probably just started to crow and whoever had them wanted chickens not roosters. People do this a lot."

Santa Clara County Vector Control officials said they don't handle roosters and suggested Binell contact the San Jose Animal Care Center, whom the town contracts with to provide assistance in situations like this.

"We don't handle roosters here. We are primarily in the field abatement group, but we do address rodent issues, wilflife issues like rescues of skunks, coyotes, the ocassional bobcat," said a vector control employee who declined to be identified.

Julianna Arreola, an office employee for the San Jose Animal Care Center, 2750 Monterey Rd., said Binell and her friend are welcome to bring the roosters to the facility free of charge. The center is open for drop-off of stranded and lost animals until 9 p.m. every day.

—Read more about the roosters' story on Binell's blog laughingattheground.com. If you're interested in adopting the roosters or know of an agency that would take them, please email Binell at Chigiy@earthlink.net.