Group Condemns Chicken Choking Toy
October 18, 2005 3:50 PM EDT
SYDNEY, Australia - A chicken toy that squawks and flaps its wings when strangled is "grossly irresponsible" and sends the wrong message to young children, a spokesman for a leading animal welfare group said Tuesday.
The toy is manufactured by a Taiwanese company and is widely available in toy and electronics stores across Australia. It is marketed for children over 3.
A product description on the Web site of Jaycar Electronics, a major Australian importer of toy, says: "Grab him by the neck and he will squawk and cluck like mad, flapping his wings and feet wildly as if he is really being choked."
But Michael Beatty, a spokesman for the Queensland state branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the toy was "grossly irresponsible" and sent the wrong message to young children.
"What's next? Burn a cat? Shoot a dog?" Beatty said. "Children of that age are likely to turn around and try the same thing on their pet bird or even the cat or dog. Then they're going to wonder why the animal fights back."
Jaycar's Managing Director Gary Johnstone said he was "amused and mystified" by the RSPCA's response.
"I would have thought they would have better things to do like saving real animals from cruelty," Johnstone said. "This is a toy that is used to relieve stress, it's meant to be a bit of a giggle."
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