Pōmaika‘i means blessing, and that’s exactly what this little guy is.

Pōmaika‘i was found on the side of the road, by a concerned woman out walking with her baby. She could see that he was suffering, unable to see or move, huddled up. He needed help. She alerted one of our directors and we quickly went to him, wrapped a towel around him, and rushed him to the vet.

We soon realized that Pōmaika‘i was a victim of cockfighting. His little rooster crown and neck waddles had clearly been cut off by humans, a standard practice in the industry. However, Pōmai did not have any wounds on his legs or body, which we would normally see on roosters who had been fought (usually in a cockfight, humans attach small blades to the roosters’ legs so it will be a more gruesome match). The humans who had been using Pōmai may have decided that he was not a top-of-the-line fighter, and decided to use him for training for the others. We have been told that is common practice for humans to hold roosters in front of other fighting roosters, and let the fighting roosters attack the “practice rooster” who has no chance of escape. This is most likely what led to the horrific injuries to his eyes, skull, and face. It’s terrible, and it hurts to write, but his story must be told. 

Pōmai regaines his eyesight. Now he lives with his girlfriend Andi and they can frequently be found snuggling with each other in their enclosure.