By Delci
Hildy, a rescued commercially-bred turkey who is about six years old, does very well with the special care that she receives at Farm Sanctuary.
You may know that every Thanksgiving the president pardons two turkeys. But did you ever wonder what happens to these turkeys after the pomp and circumstance is over and the television news cameras are gone?
Since 2005, the pardoned turkeys have been sent to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. And while billed as “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland is demonstrably not so for turkeys. Indeed, at least half of the pardoned turkeys sent to a Disney theme park have died within one year. That’s why we’re petitioning President Obama to send this year’s pardoned turkeys to Farm Sanctuary, where they’ll receive the attention and care they deserve.
In contrast to the Disney amusement parks, at Farm Sanctuary rescued turkeys live an average of four to five years. And our oldest turkey, Gobell, who lives happily at our California shelter, is 10 ½ years old.
The extreme difference in life span between the turkeys sent to Disney facilities and those provided refuge at Farm Sanctuary is attributable to the differences in their care. When asked about the care Disney provides, Disney spokesman John McClintock explained that the theme parks use “normal feeding and other production techniques.” It is precisely these “normal” techniques that result in the early demise of these birds. “Normal feeding” means free-feeding turkeys a high calorie, high fat diet that is specifically designed for rapid weight gain – which McClintock himself recognized as a cause of the Disney turkeys’ premature deaths.
At Farm Sanctuary we do not use “normal feeding and other production techniques” to care for our rescued turkeys, because we are concerned not with raising them for production but with ensuring that they have the longest, happiest and most comfortable lives possible. We have been rehabilitating turkeys for over two decades and are uniquely equipped with the expertise needed to keep these birds healthy and happy for years. We have a special high-fiber feed that is designed to satisfy all of our turkeys’ nutritional requirements without promoting excessive weight gain, and all of our birds have access to top-of-the line veterinary care, warm barns, safe pastures to explore, fresh air and sunshine, companions to spend their days with, and loving attention from devoted caregivers.
Hildy, featured above, exemplifies the lives these special-needs animals are able to enjoy when given the opportunity to flourish. About six years old, Hildy is a rescued commercially-bred turkey. With the care we are able to provide her, she does very well, and Hildy is just an example of the many turkeys who have thrived at Farm Sanctuary.
This year’s pardoned turkeys deserve true refuge and should be allowed to live out long and happy lives like Hildy, Gobell and the other turkeys at Farm Sanctuary. So please sign our petition to President Obama urging him to send this year’s pardoned birds to the happiest place on earth for turkeys: Farm Sanctuary. We must submit our petition by November 20, so after you’ve signed please help spread the word. The turkeys will thank you.
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