The owners of a very special turkey named Henrietta are asking for the bird’s safe return after she was stolen from a Hobart, Indiana, animal sanctuary over the weekend.
Erin’s Farm, a non-profit animal rescue sanctuary, essentially serves as a forever home for animals in need. One of the sanctuary’s most famous residents, Henrietta, is a favorite because of her unique disposition and her unique condition, as the bird has a prosthetic leg.
Unfortunately for Henrietta’s caretakers, the bird was stolen from the facility over the weekend.
“Without a trace. She was just gone,” Erin Yanz says.
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Yanz says that her daughter has been taking the news particularly hard, as she visited the turkey several times a day.
“She goes through the loss of her animal friends at 10 times the rate that normal kids do,” she says. “Henrietta was a friend of hers, and someone who she would visit every day.”
“She loved me, and I loved her,” Raenagh Brauer adds.
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Hobart police say that the community is heartbroken over the bird’s disappearance. Children, many with disabilities themselves, appreciated the perseverance that Henrietta showed, and they identified intensely with her, according to officials.
“They’re survivors, like us,” Yanz says. “Their disability isn’t going to stop them from hopping around or having a normal life. It’s inspiring for kids to see that.”
The bird’s caretakers say that the person responsible for the theft had to go through at least three locked doors and gates to get to her, ruling out the possibility that a rogue predator or animal was responsible.
A reward for Henrietta’s safe return has now grown to $1,500, and the family who owns the sanctuary is pleading with the culprit to do the right thing.
“Please, take care of her,” Raenagh says.
