Also, friends do not attack each other merely for breathing the same air. What happens when those two universal laws come into conflict?

I have always followed a policy of not eating the animals I live with - they are close, personal friends (and some of them lay eggs and let me have them). When Lucy was dropped off as a rescue, I was willing to give him a good home. And he did pretty well - then, he started getting rough with the ladies. Not okay, I love the ladies. But still, he was agreeable. Then he started attacking any men who came around him - which I have to confess I found kind of funny. Lucy is a meat bird, and he was not really built to do any damage or hurt anyone. He also was not built to support that massive body, and he has lost the ability to roost, to run, to fly, or to jump. He can do little but walk in an awkward waddle and lay on the ground (and romance my little Buffy hen).

But for the last two days, he has started attacking me whenever I am nearby. I don't even have to look at him and he goes for me. Facing him down didn't work, retaliating didn't work. It just got worse and worse.

So, despite my no kill policy, I asked my manly huntsman neighbor to help me send Lucy on to the next world. Now, I don't feel bad about this. Lucy had an amazing life here, with everything he could want. And also, he lived about a year longer than he would have normally. But I still winced when I heard the shotgun.