Press Releases

Just in Time for Thanksgiving, Rescued Turkeys to Join the Flock at Michigan Home

Farm Sanctuary’s Turkey Express Delivers Rescued Birds to Family in Williamston, Mich. as Part of National Adopt-A-Turkey Project

WILLIAMSTON, MI – November 3, 2009 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, will make its first Turkey Express delivery of the season when two turkeys arrive at the Williamston, Mich. home of the Nason family. An integral part of the organization’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project for 23 years, this annual Thanksgiving event pairs rescued birds in need of permanent refuge with adopters nationwide.

“On Thanksgiving, while many U.S. families encounter only the body parts of turkeys, Turkey Express adopters will be getting to know the unique personalities of some of these birds, who are bright, inquisitive and expressive creatures,” said National Shelter Director Susie Coston. “In offering lifelong shelter and care to rescued turkeys, these adopters exemplify the true spirit of the holiday.”

Shelter and care were in short supply where Esther and Sarah, the turkey hens joining the Nasons, began their lives. When the two, along with more than 60 other poults, were left at Farm Sanctuary’s Watkins Glen shelter in 2008, the baby turkeys had already endured the amputation of their toe tips and portions of their upper beaks. This painful and at times fatal procedure, standard among commercial turkey raisers, serves as the overture to lives of overcrowding, filth and disease for hundreds of millions of turkeys every year, more than 46 million of whom are slaughtered for Thanksgiving alone.

Esther and Sarah are forever safe from that fate. On November 4, a member of our Watkins Glen shelter staff will deliver them, along with two rescued lambs, to Bob and Leslie Nason, who have provided a wonderful home to turkeys and sheep from Farm Sanctuary since 1996.

“We are excited to welcome Esther and Sarah into our family,” said Leslie Nason. “The turkeys we have adopted from Farm Sanctuary have brought us so much joy over the years, and we can think of no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by opening our doors to two more and giving them all the love and comfort they deserve.”

The Adopt-A-Turkey Project seeks to end the suffering of commercially-raised turkeys by offering a compassionate alternative for Thanksgiving. Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary has rescued more than 1,000 turkeys, placed hundreds into loving homes through our annual Turkey Express adoption event, educated millions of people about their plight, and provided resources for a cruelty-free holiday. To learn more about the Adopt-A-Turkey Project, please visit adoptaturkey.org or call 1-888-SPONSOR.

Those interested in home adoption, and who can provide refuge for two or more turkeys, are invited to contact Farm Sanctuary and apply to join its Farm Animal Adoption Network by visiting farmsanctuary.org.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.