Causecast

At Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, Thanksgiving is, literally, “Turkey Day” – meaning a day when birds are celebrated, rather than eaten. Through Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project (www.adoptaturkey.org) participants can sponsor rescued turkeys living at Farm Sanctuary shelters, apply for home adoptions, find resources from celebrities and chefs for a compassionate holiday, and get active on behalf of these fine feathered friends.

Started in 1986, the Adopt-A-Turkey Project kicks into high gear every November with new “spokesturkeys” urging people to adopt them. This year, six special rescued birds named Serendipity, Echo, Faye, Apollo, Hannah, and Phoenix represent a fervent hope that public attitudes toward this Native American bird will become more compassionate.

The Adopt-A-Turkey Project provides people with an opportunity to take an active role in the birds’ care by helping to fund their food, bedding and veterinary needs, as well as education and advocacy efforts for turkeys and other farm animals. For a one-time donation of $25, sponsors receive an official “adoption” certificate with a photograph of their turkey, a one-year membership to Farm Sanctuary, and a subscription to the organization’s quarterly magazine. Turkey adoptions also make great holiday gifts.

For those looking to provide an actual home for two or more turkeys, Farm Sanctuary’s Turkey Express adoption event may be just what they are looking for. Prospective caregivers who fulfill Farm Sanctuary’s criteria and are approved for home adoption can expect to welcome their new feathered companions into their families in time for the holidays. Turkeys make great companions and adoptive families quickly learn how social and sensitive these special birds really are.

The Adopt-A-Turkey Project has enabled Farm Sanctuary to save more than 1,000 turkeys, and place hundreds with loving families through the Turkey Express. These turkeys’ lives are a marked contrast to the daily pain and suffering endured by turkeys on factory farms. With 250 to 300 million turkeys slaughtered for food in the U.S. every year – more than 45 million for Thanksgiving alone – thousands of birds are tightly confined in giant sheds, parts of their beaks and toes are amputated without anesthetic, and they are slaughtered when they are only 14 to 18 weeks old. With charming turkey ambassadors symbolizing a better way, the Adopt-A-Turkey Project has encouraged millions to reconsider what they eat on Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

Those who wish to find out more about Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project, view the 2008 “Turkey Adoption List,” and access adoption applications and many other helpful holiday resources – including recipes, videos and literature – can visit www.adoptaturkey.org or call 1-888-SPONSOR.