Well, is it? According to CNN, California security guard Devorise Dixon claims it is. Dixon reportedly ordered a three-piece chicken tender meal from KFC when he pulled the above item from the box, bit in, tasted something “hard and rubbery,” and then spit it out. Why’d he think it was a rat? This is what he told an L.A. radio station: “I looked down at my hand and I realized that it was in the shape of a rat with a tail and everything in it.”
Dismayed at what he potentially found, Dixon went back to the KFC where he purchased the tenders and presented the item—which he’d kept in his freezer—with his receipt. The manager of the store flipped and confirmed that, yes, it was a rat. The location then offered Dixon a free meal that he declined. Dixon then hired a lawyer. KFC was alerted to the chicken-less strip and responded on its Facebook page:
Dixon refused to speak with CNN or KFC. With all of this in mind, do you think it’s a rat? Watch CNN’s video on the story below.
UPDATE: Dixon was probably not served a rat, and it’s more than likely a hoax. Business Insider provides a fairly damning breakdown of photos that Dixon didn’t originally share, which not only shows what appears to be white chicken meat but also a lack of bones (Dixon bit into an area of the item where the rat’s skull would be; however, inspection reveals there’s likely only meat in that area).
Dixon still hasn’t responded to interview requests or KFC.
UPDATE 2: It wasn’t a rat. The tender was indeed chicken. KFC released a statement on its Facebook yesterday that it had a third party test the in-question item: