Video: Man arrested after stealing ex-girlfriend’s pet chicken in bizarre break-in

In a bizarre yet strangely touching episode, a 50-year-old man was arrested after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and fleeing with her pet chicken, Polly.

The incident took place on March 29, when deputies from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office responded to a distress call from a woman who reported that her former boyfriend had kicked down her back door and stolen her beloved pet chicken, according to the Miami Herald.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the man shouted “I’ve got Polly” several times before disappearing into nearby woods with the chicken in hand. Deputies eventually located him sobbing in the bushes, still clutching the bird tightly.

“Don’t hurt my chicken,” the man cried as officers approached, visibly emotional. In the bodycam footage later shared by the Sheriff’s Office on X, an officer can be heard calmly responding, “That’s fine. Just hold your chicken. I’m not gonna hurt your chicken.”

The Sheriff’s Office captioned the bodycam footage, “On Patrol. Deputies recover an abducted chicken,” giving a light-hearted touch to an otherwise bizarre case.

After a brief standoff, deputies persuaded the man to surrender. He gently placed Polly in the backseat of a patrol car before being taken into custody. Authorities confirmed Polly was safely returned to her rightful owner, unharmed.

The man now faces charges of residential burglary and violating a protection order. Notably, officials revealed that he had been released from jail just hours before the incident.