BOSTON, M.A. – This Thanksgiving, two Boston businessmen are putting their money where their mouths aren’t. Not only will John Talbot, founder of Boston Baked Bonz, a company that makes healthy, artisanal baked treats and gifts for dogs and the people who love them, and Dorr Begnal, managing director of Park Street Capital, an employee-owned investment management firm, not be eating a turkey this holiday but they have pledged to save as many birds as they can by matching every contribution to Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project up to $50K. As the proud parents of four beloved rescued dogs, the decision to help turkeys rescued from the abusive commercial turkey industry just made good sense.
“Like many people, our dogs are valued members of our family,” explains Talbot, an attorney turned entrepreneur. “We cherish them so much, we even built a business around celebrating the special relationship that people have with their dogs. But here’s the thing — we’re not comfortable making arbitrary distinctions between animals. We’ve spent a lot of time with rescued turkeys at Farm Sanctuary’s shelters, and we know that these animals are just as intelligent and affectionate as our dogs. We would never allow dogs to be subjected to the intolerable cruelty that millions of turkeys endure every year on industrial farms, so why would we allow it to happen to turkeys?”
For 25 years, the Adopt-A-Turkey Project has put smiles on the faces of people everywhere, while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the care of more than 1,000 rescued turkeys. For the second year in a row, superstar Ellen DeGeneres has stepped up to serve as the project’s spokesperson, inspiring people everywhere to make a compassionate choice to adopt a turkey. For a one-time donation of just $30, adopters or the recipients they choose will provide for the care of a rescued turkey and receive a special Adopt-A-Turkey certificate complete with color photo of their adoptee who resides at one of Farm Sanctuary’s shelters, along with fun details about their new friend’s habits and disposition.
“Many people don’t realize that turkeys are not protected under most state anti-cruelty laws, and they are specifically excluded from the federal Humane Slaughter Act,” says Begnal. “When you stop and think about what this really means for turkeys — that their beaks and toes are cut off without pain relief, they are crammed by the thousands inside filthy warehouses where they never experience sunlight or fresh air, and they are punched, prodded, kicked, and basically treated like unfeeling machinery — I can’t think of a better investment to make than one that contributes to building a more compassionate world.”
According to the USDA and the National Turkey Federation, between 250 and 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter in the U.S. every year — more than 46 million for Thanksgiving alone.
To sponsor a turkey today or donate to the Adopt-A-Turkey Project and have your gift DOUBLED, visit adoptaturkey.org or call the Turkey Adoption Hotline at 888-SPONSOR.
