For 32 years, animal protection organization Farm Sanctuary has been running a program called Adopt A Turkey, which gives people the opportunity to sponsor a rescued bird. To date, over a thousand turkeys have been spared from a torturous death, thanks to the initiative.
But there’s no such thing as too much help when it comes to rescuing animals from cruel factory farms. Recently, World Animal News reported on the Adopt a Turkey campaign, prompting the organization’s charity, Peace 4 Animals, to take things even further. To encourage more people to skip turkey dinner and instead adopt one, Peace 4 Animals placed a billboard promoting the program along a busy Los Angeles County highway.
Katie Cleary, the founder of Peace 4 Animals and World Animal News, explains the decision: “As millions of turkeys are killed each year for this one day alone, I felt something needed to be done to send a loud message to choose compassion on your plate and change the way we’re conditioned to think about farm animals in this country; to actually make a connection to what we are eating.”
Farm Sanctuary president and co-founder Gene Baur stresses the importance of combating the violent holiday tradition of killing turkeys with compassionate alternatives: “Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday for vegetarians and vegans in the U.S., as up to 46 million turkeys are slaughtered for a feast that is supposed to be about gratitude and the celebration of life.”
The turkeys who are “adopted” by donors are rescued by Farm Sanctuary and relocated to the organization’s shelters in Los Angeles, CA and Watkins Glen, NY. Sponsors receive adoption certificates and can adopt as many turkeys as they want for $35 each – or an entire flock for $150.
Cleary points out that now is an opportune time to start discussions with friends, family members, and other loved ones about helping animals and considering a vegan lifestyle: “The holiday season is an ideal time to encourage people to incorporate a plant-based meat-free diet into their lives. Adopting a turkey instead of having one for dinner this Thanksgiving is a gratifying step in the right direction towards a more compassionate world.”
