Sanctuary Tails

Animal Photo of the Week: Jordan

 

It’s all blue skies for Jordan now that he is safe and sound at our California Shelter. Rescued from a factory farm when he was just a little peep, this kind and youthful turkey is an inspiration to everyone he meets for having overcome such a rough start to life. Sadly, millions of other turkeys raised for Thanksgiving never get this chance as they are killed at only 14 to 18 weeks of age. Since the holiday is right around the corner, Jordan is seeking compassionate people like you to sponsor him through our Adopt-A-Turkey Project today and help spread the word that turkeys deserve much better. Your $30 donation will not only go toward the care of animals living at Farm Sanctuary, but also help us be a voice for suffering farm animals all across the U.S. Learn more and adopt Jordan!

P.S. If you haven't yet seen episode three of our "Sanctuary Tails" video series, Reel Life at Farm Sanctuary, watch now to learn all about turkeys.

 

Animal Photo of the Week: Daphne

 
 
There’s nothing like the experience of seeing a rescued animal blossom before your eyes. In this sweet photo, Daphne turkey’s incredible spirit shines through as she curiously explores the lush green grass of her new pasture at Farm Sanctuary – free for the first time to simply be herself. Rescued not too long ago, this young turkey had a very difficult start to life. She and a group of 15 chickens were seized from a neglectful area farm by animal control officers after many of the birds in their flock wandered into the road and were fatally struck by cars. Now safe at our New York Shelter, this little cutie is inspiring compassion nationwide as one of the youngest superstars featured as part of our Adopt-A-Turkey Project this year. If you would like to join us in showing Daphne that she is cherished for the wonderful individual that she is, please sponsor her today for a one-time $30 donation, and help spread the word this Thanksgiving that turkeys like her deserve to be treated as friends, not food!

Seeing Turkeys as Friends, Not Food

 

by Susie

Because dogs and cats have a monopoly on the term “companion animal,” it may come as a surprise to many people that farm animals make great companions too! As the national shelter director of Farm Sanctuary, I’ve befriended hundreds of animals, all of whom were victims of the “food animal” industry. Of all these friends of mine, the turkeys possess some of the most stand-out personalities.

As part of our annual Adopt-A-Turkey Project, we run an adoption event, in conjunction with our Farm Animal Adoption Network, called Turkey Express through which you can also form a lifelong friendship with these outstanding birds! Since the first event in 1986, we have placed more than 600 turkeys in safe, permanent and loving homes throughout the U.S.

Last year, we made several stops on the Turkey Express, including one in Ridge, New York, where Autumn and Avon were personally delivered to new caregiver Pat Stapleton. Avon was one of more than 60 debeaked and detoed poults left at our New York Shelter in 2008 while Autumn, likely an escapee from a live market, came to us after being found scrounging for food in the streets of Harlem. Together these two have spent the past year at Stapleton’s home where they have been treated like friends, not food. 

This year, we are gearing up to place more turkeys with doting “parents,” so keep your eyes peeled for news on our next stops in the weeks to come! 

Reel Life Video Series: Episode 3

On episode three of our new video series, Reel Life at Farm Sanctuary, National Shelter Director Susie Coston talks a whole lot of turkey and introduces you to some special birds in our New York Shelter flock. Turkeys are fascinating animals, so watch now to learn more about them, and then visit adoptaturkey.org to find out how you can help save lives this Thanksgiving holiday season.

Didn’t see episodes one and two of Reel Life? No worries – you can catch up with them here:

Episode One: Pasture Rotation
Episode Two: Chicken Nutrition

Animal Photo of the Week: Harley

 
Could Harley’s smile be any more contagious? We certainly don’t think so! This friendly guy sure knows how to light up a barnyard and we are thrilled to have him as part of our flock at the California Shelter. Unfortunately, life wasn’t always so sunny for Harley. Before he was rescued, he lived on factory farm, where his life would have been cut brutally short so that he could become someone’s turkey dinner. Sadly, more than 46 million turkeys just like Harley are slaughtered annually for the Thanksgiving holiday alone. Luckily, we all have the chance to make this time of year a little brighter for the birds by taking part in Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project. Since 1986, this campaign has been seeking to end the misery of commercially-raised turkeys by saving lives and promoting compassionate Thanksgiving alternatives. By signing up to sponsor Harley with a one-time $30 donation, you can join us in making a big difference for turkeys and other suffering farm animals today and throughout the year.

Animal Photo of the Week: Kima

 
It seems like only yesterday that Kima was discovered on the doorstep of our New York Shelter hospital along with 65 other baby turkeys. While they were just tiny balls of yellow fluff at the time, these sweet poults had already been debeaked and detoed: tell-tale signs that they had come from a factory farm. In the industry, turkeys like Kima are packed together so tightly in warehouses that they have very little room to move. Under such circumstances, these normally social, gentle birds become stressed and frustrated, causing them to become more aggressive. But instead of altering their surroundings to give the poor birds more space, and thus prevent potentially injurious behaviors, producers remove portions of the turkeys’ beaks and toes, disfiguring the animals for life. Fortunately for Kima, she has only been handled with care since she arrived at Farm Sanctuary in 2008. Now all grown up, this outgoing turkey is thankful for friends like you who helped create a different end to her story. As one of our 2010 Adopt-A-Turkey Project superstars, she would love the chance for an adoption certificate with her photo on it to grace your holiday table this year as a reminder that everyone can choose compassion and save a life. If you’d like to sponsor her today for a one-time donation of $30, you can do so right here!

Animal Photo of the Week: Reese

 

Reese’s snow white plumage and stunning baby blue eyes have turned plenty of heads since he showed up as a poult at Farm Sanctuary last year.  Arriving at our door with 10 other baby turkeys, he was likely rescued from a factory farm – a dark, crowded and terrifying place where only a miserable future would have awaited him. Thankfully, Reese now shines like the sun at our California Shelter, charming his way into the hearts of humans and turkeys alike with his inquisitive and sociable nature.  As the Thanksgiving season approaches, this grateful boy is looking for new friends like you to help sponsor his care and support Farm Sanctuary’s efforts to advocate for turkeys everywhere. Sign up to “adopt” Reese through our Adopt-A-Turkey Project with a one-time $30 donation today and you’ll surely experience the greatest of holiday delights!