Man driving with a chicken on his shoulder arrested for 3rd OWI offense

OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) -- An unusual OWI arrest took place in Oak Creek this week.

Police were called to an area near Howell Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 3, after a caller reported a driver swerving all over the road with a chicken on his shoulder. 

"We're on Howell, there's a guy behind us, and he has a -- he's driving really reckless, but he has a hawk in his car," a 911 caller said. "He's like just driving, holding it, he's swerving all over the road on Howell."

The bird was actually a chicken, and police located both the driver, a 42-year-old Milwaukee man, and the bird he was driving with near Howell and Drexel.

As officers walked up to the car, they saw a live chicken fluttering around inside. Dashcam footage shows one of the officers carrying the bird away from the vehicle.

Police say there were also open beer cans in the car. The driver failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for his third drunken driving offense.

The chicken, named Teresa, was safely taken to the Oak Creek Police Department and then handed over to MADACC, where they say it's not snitching.

 "The chicken's been mum," said MADACC Executive Director Karen Sparapani. "It will not talk. Plead the fifth. It will not give us any more information."

"It's a nice enough chicken," she said. "Like if you're gonna go driving with one, that was a pretty good one."

We're told the owner has until Nov. 10 to claim the chicken. If it's not claimed, the chicken will be sent to a sanctuary to live out its life.