Kansas high school student smuggles chicken out of school project

CONCORDIA, Kansas - First he was spared, now he's a celebrity.  Whitney Hillman was determined to save her chicken from slaughter at Concordia High School. 

She was participating in a class project in an animal science class teaching livestock and poultry production.  It called for students to raise their own chickens and then participate in the dressing, slaughtering, and packaging of the animals. 

When the time came for the slaughter Hillman stuffed her assigned chicken, whom she named Chicklett, into her purse and took him back to her house.  She objected to the project and claims the teacher refused to let her out of it. 

The school released a statement backing the project, saying it was beneficial for the students to learn how animals are raised and then processed into food. 

She was allowed to keep Chicklett but served in-school suspension for leaving school grounds.  Now Chicklett is getting attention from vegetarian and animal rights groups.  He also has his own Facebook page .