‘Hell on Wheels’ is Coming to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: Truck to Blast Dying Birds’ Cries

For Immediate Release:
September 3, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

“Hell on Wheels” is headed for the Motor City—and anyone on their way into Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is in for an earful. On Friday, PETA’s hyperrealistic chicken transport truck—which looks as if it contains real chickens crammed into crates on their way to slaughter—will post up next to the meaty eatery and bombard anyone within earshot with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries, along with a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan.

“Behind every piece of fried chicken is a once-living individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to consider what these curious, social birds endure before they end up on a plate, and to please go vegan.”

Where:           Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, 4101 3rd Ave., Detroit

When:             Friday, September 4, 12 noon

Why:               Chickens are social learners who watch and emulate one another. They form strong bonds, dream, and worry about the future, just as humans do—but in the meat industry, they’re confined by the tens of thousands to severely crowded, filthy sheds and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. At slaughterhouses, mechanized blades slit their throats—often while they’re still conscious—and many are scalded to death in de-feathering tanks.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a chicken is a dog is a boy. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.