Just in time for the approaching holiday, Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, is launching a new video, Thanksgiving’s Toll on Turkeys, exposing the truth behind commercial turkey production. Featuring footage from the organization’s groundbreaking investigations through the years, the video follows the heartbreaking trajectory of these exploited birds’ lives — showing everything that happens to them from artificial insemination to death. It is the most comprehensive look at the industry for anyone new to the issues, providing plenty of important reasons, and motivation, to keep turkeys off the dinner table.
In addition to illustrating the plight of modern turkeys, the video also explores why these sensitive, social animals are worthy of protection. With clips of rescued turkeys at Farm Sanctuary’s bi-coastal shelters engaging in their daily routines and being honored with feasts of their own at the organization’s popular Celebration FOR the Turkeys, it gives viewers a glimpse into the emotional lives of these birds and shows that, just like cats and dogs, they too have feelings and desires all their own. As this section of the video puts a face on the suffering endured by the millions of turkeys slaughtered in the U.S. every year, it also tells viewers how they can help bring an end to cruelty and start a new holiday tradition by participating in Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project.
“If you’re planning to put a turkey on your Thanksgiving table this year, please take seven minutes to watch this important video and understand what it took for that bird to get there,” says Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur. “And then ask yourself, ‘am I okay with that?’ We believe this new video has a lot of potential to open hearts and minds, and save countless lives.”
The video is also available for order as a DVD to use for tabling purposes, to showcase at viewing parties around Thanksgiving, or to keep in your video library. The DVD also includes bonus features including three PSAs with actress Ginnifer Goodwin promoting a compassionate Thanksgiving!
Between 250 to 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter every year in the U.S. — more than 46 million alone for Thanksgiving.
You can learn more about Thanksgiving’s toll on turkeys here.
