r IDEA File

Something to Crow About

Finding an unusuol mascot has proven a boon to Gecko Hardware, Dallas, Tx., in getting the store attention and luring customers back.

Prince George is a Buff Orpington rooster who is typically perched at the front of the store. He also occasionally roams the aisles and every morning is tethered by a leash and taken for a walk outside.

Gecko co-owner Andrea Ridout reports foot traffic rose considerably on weekends once shoppers noticed that the rooster enjoys visitors. She said George, unlike any other rooster she has known, likes to cuddle.

George also regularly visits schools and senior citizen homes. A local bookstore even held a chicken meetup event.

He was born on March 27 , 2013, and was purchased at the store by a little girl named Abbi. The child called him "Queen Elizabeth," thinking that he was a little hen. When "Elizabeth" was about four months old, "she" started crowing, and Abbi realized that "she" was a "he." So, the store agreed to take him back.

Gecko received an exemption from the city allowing it to keep a feathered animal on the premises.

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