‘Hell on Wheels’ Truck to Drown Out Raising Cane’s Grand Opening in Rock Hill With Chorus of Crying Chickens

For Immediate Release:
February 20, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Diners attending the grand opening of the new Raising Cane’s in Rock Hill on Tuesday won’t just see PETA’s life-size, hyperrealistic “Hell on Wheels” chicken transport truck—they’ll hear it first. The vexatious vehicle will cut through the festivities by unleashing a relentless barrage of real, high-volume recordings of chickens’ cries—the same sounds the birds make while crammed into transport crates on their way to slaughter. And accompanying it will be a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan.

Tuesday’s demonstration is one of many planned for new Raising Cane’s locations nationwide, as PETA urges diners to leave chickens in peace, not in pieces.

“Behind every ‘chicken finger’ is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA asks anyone thinking of eating chicken to consider how these curious, social birds are killed before they end up in a fast food bag, and to please go vegan.”

Where:           Outside Raising Cane’s, 520 John Ross Pkwy., Rock Hill

When:             Tuesday, February 24, 9 a.m.

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, chickens are 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 Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. 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.