Last week, 43 hens were among thousands of birds facing an uncertain future at a shuttered egg-laying facility in Orangeville, Pennsylvania.
By nightfall, they were safe.

Responding to an urgent call for help, Dr. Leslie Interlandi and a member of Indraloka’s veterinary team traveled to the facility, where a flock of hens needed immediate placement after the business ceased operations. Rescuers were informed that birds remaining at the facility by the end of the day would be slaughtered.

Among the chaos of a facility closing its doors, hens were being carelessly caught, carried by their legs and wings, and shoved into crates. For many, it was yet another frightening chapter in lives already shaped by industrial egg production.

Forty-three of those hens made the journey to Indraloka. Today, they are resting comfortably in quarantine while veterinary staff assess their medical needs.

“These hens have endured more than most people can imagine,” said Dr. Indra Lahiri, Founder and CEO of Indraloka. “Like so many animals used in commercial agriculture, they were valued only for what they could produce. Once they were no longer considered useful, their lives were
at risk. We believe their worth has never depended on what they could give us.” The rescue marks a significant milestone for the sanctuary.
The hens are the first animals to utilize Indraloka’s newly constructed medical barn for the purpose it was designed to serve: providing quarantine space and specialized care for rescued animals arriving with medical needs.

The facility, an extension of the NEPA Rescue Veterinary Clinic, was constructed through the generosity of community supporters and funding partners, including the Wilary Foundation, The Robert H. Spitz Foundation, the Local Shares Allocation program, and many individual donors.
The medical barn was built to ensure that when animals arrived in crisis, Indraloka would have the space, equipment, and capacity to respond immediately.

This week, 43 rescued hens became the first animals to benefit from that preparation. “When the call came about these hens, we were ready,” said Dr. Interlandi. “Many of them require extensive medical evaluation and treatment, and the medical barn allows us to provide that care while protecting the health of the rest of the sanctuary population. It was built for exactly this kind of situation.”

Veterinary staff continue to evaluate the hens, many of whom are arriving with health concerns commonly seen in birds from commercial egg production systems. Their care is expected to exceed $20,000 and will include medical treatment, diagnostic testing, nutrition, and ongoing
rehabilitation. For the hens now settling into clean bedding, fresh food, and the quiet of their new surroundings, the future looks very different than it did just days ago. And for the community members who helped make the medical barn possible, their investment
is already saving lives.

To learn more about the hens or support their care, visit Indraloka.org