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Just in Time for Thanksgiving, Rescued Turkeys Arrive at New Home

Farm Sanctuary’s Turkey Express Delivers Rescued Birds to Adopter in Ridge, N.Y. as Part of National Adopt-A-Turkey Project

RIDGE, N.Y. – November 17, 2009 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, made another stop on its Turkey Express on Sunday with the delivery of two turkeys to adopter Pat Stapleton of Ridge, N.Y. 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 Autumn and Avon, the two turkey hens joining Stapleton, began their lives. When Avon, along with more than 60 other poults, was 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. Autumn was rescued that same year from the streets of Harlem, where she and 13 chickens were discovered foraging for food. Likely an escapee from one of New York City’s live markets, which are frequent dumping grounds for unwanted animals from industrial farms, Autumn too had been debeaked and detoed. These painful and at times fatal procedures, standard among commercial turkey raisers, serve 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.

Autumn and Avon are forever safe from that fate. On November 15, they were welcomed to their new home by Stapleton, who has also adopted turkeys from Farm Sanctuary in the past. She is committed to providing them all the space, nourishment, care, and love they will need for the rest of their lives.

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.

If you would like to speak with adopter Pat Stapleton or Farm Sanctuary National Shelter Director Susie Coston, please contact Meredith Turner at 646-369-6212 or mturner@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.