WILLIS, Texas – A special needs animal sanctuary in Willis desperately needs the public’s help in locating a missing emu named Archie, who fled the property after being spooked by neighborhood dogs on New Year’s Eve.
The six-foot-tall bird escaped from The Least of These Animal Sanctuary, where he lived with his bonded companion, another emu named Meathead, who has a leg deformity.
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“His buddy that we’re missing is very important to him. It’s like a security blanket, and they’re very bonded,” said Kelly Hutson, founder of the sanctuary. “They lay together, they sleep together.”
Hutson discovered Archie was missing early on December 31 after neighborhood dogs had breached their own fence and entered her property around 2 a.m.
The incident mirrors a similar disturbance that occurred just days earlier on Christmas Day.
“I actually came out and saw the dogs in the pen chasing the emus,” Hutson said, describing the Christmas Day incident. “Apparently Archie was so spooked that he jumped the fence, and we haven’t been able to contain him since.”
While Archie was briefly spotted on a neighbor’s property, attempts to capture him were unsuccessful due to his heightened state of anxiety.
“We were unable to capture him. He was really freaked out,” Hutson explained. “Normally he comes to me and I could feed him out of my hand, but that’s not happening.”
The sanctuary, which houses approximately 100 animals including chickens and ducks, specializes in caring for creatures with special needs.
While Archie doesn’t have any disabilities, his companion Meathead has a slipped tendon in his leg that affects his mobility.
Hutson expressed growing concern for Archie’s safety in the wild.
“It’s not that he won’t be able to find things to eat,” she said. “My problem is going to be loose animals, dogs. They’re gonna chase him. After being chased for a while... it’s gonna tax him and he’ll probably just die eventually just from exhaustion.”
The sanctuary founder also worries about potential human threats.
‘“There are a lot of people out here that eat them, shoot them, and just don’t want an animal on their property,” Hutson said.
She emphasized that Archie poses no danger to the public, describing him as “very skittish” and “scared of everything.”
Meathead has shown signs of distress since his friend’s disappearance, largely remaining hidden in his shelter.
“He misses him big time,” Hutson noted, adding that male emus typically form strong bonds with each other.
The sanctuary operates solely on donations, with Hutson managing the facility by herself.
She’s asking anyone who spots Archie to call her at 713-724-2663.