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- Ever consider “adopting” a turkey for Thanksgiving? (cbsnews.com)
Erie, CO – While millions of turkeys across the nation braced for their Thanksgiving fate, one lucky gobbler named Gus is living the high life, showered with affection at the Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Erie. Gus, a recipient of a gubernatorial pardon in 2023, is a testament to a growing movement that offers turkeys a reprieve from the dinner table.
“What do you think? Do you want to do snuggles today?”
Lanette Cook, education and engagement manager at Luvin Arms, gently coos to Gus as he struts through the sprawling Colorado plains sanctuary. Gus, known for his talkative nature, is among a rising number of turkeys being “adopted” rather than becoming the centerpiece of a holiday meal.
Farm animal sanctuaries nationwide are championing this alternative Thanksgiving tradition, encouraging families to “adopt” turkeys through donations that support their lifelong care. In return, adopters receive photos, certificates, and sometimes even personal visits with their feathered friends. The goal is to spare a few of the tens of millions of turkeys typically slaughtered this time of year, many of whom are raised in what animal rights advocates describe as inhumane factory farm conditions.
Some individuals adopt turkeys for themselves, proudly displaying their turkey’s photo on their Thanksgiving table, while others gift these unique adoptions to friends or family.
At Luvin Arms, a $25 donation provides a certificate, a photo, and either a virtual or in-person visit, according to Executive Director Kelly Nix. Since its inception in 2022, the sanctuary’s sponsor-a-turkey program has seen its sponsorships double annually. This year, they are on track to meet their $18,000 fundraising goal.
The Luvin Arms website showcases Gus and a flock of other turkeys, complete with descriptions of their unique personalities. The program encourages the public to donate for the birds during the Thanksgiving season and to potentially re-evaluate their holiday customs.
Funds generated by the program have been instrumental in expanding the turkeys’ outdoor pasture, feeding more birds, and facilitating the rescue of additional turkeys. They also contribute to significant veterinary bills, which can often amount to thousands of dollars due to the health complications inherent in turkeys bred for rapid growth in factory farm settings. While wild turkeys typically live for three to four years, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, factory-farmed turkeys often face considerable health challenges.
However, the sanctuary emphasizes that the program’s impact extends beyond the turkeys and monetary contributions. It serves as a vital educational tool, shedding light on factory farming conditions and highlighting that turkeys are sentient beings with distinct personalities, not merely holiday centerpieces.
“Even if it makes you stop and double think what it is you’re about to do,” Nix remarked, “Or that you’re like, ‘wow this is a life of a sentient being,’ for us, that’s a conversation starter.”
Farm Sanctuary, with locations in New York and California, is credited with pioneering this turkey adoption model in 1986. Gene Baur, its president and co-founder, recalls that initially, the public found both the program and the broader concept of rescuing farm animals rather perplexing.
Nearly four decades later, the sanctuary has rescued thousands of turkeys, and public support for the initiative has grown significantly, with donations reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars in some years.
“We grow up with certain traditions. But just because something is a tradition doesn’t mean that it needs to remain as a tradition,” Baur stated.
Barn Sanctuary in Chelsea, Michigan, launched a similar program in 2023. Chase DeBack, its advocacy, education, and engagement coordinator, explains that the program aims to portray turkeys in a more positive light, emphasizing their individual personalities.
DeBack speaks of the sanctuary’s residents with warmth, as if they were close acquaintances: Lewis, for instance, prefers the company of other turkeys to humans, while Sabrina and Hilda are always curious about new arrivals in the coop.
“You only hear about kind of the dead turkeys,” DeBack noted. “And so we really wanted to shine a light on the unique personalities that turkeys have and how loving and caring they are for humans and for each other.”
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- Ever consider “adopting” a turkey for Thanksgiving? (cbsnews.com)