Erie, Colo. — “Gus” the turkey has been spending Thanksgiving week a lot otherwise than thousands and thousands of different unfortunate gobblers throughout the U.S.
As he trots in a sprawling animal sanctuary on the Colorado plains, he’s stopped each few steps by employees who pet him, hug him and even give him a peck on his purple face. Gus has been there since 2023 after being pardoned by the governor.
“What do you assume? Do you need to do snuggles in the present day?” Lanette Prepare dinner, training and engagement supervisor on the Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Erie, says to Gus.
David Zalubowski / AP
Gus is amongst a rising variety of turkeys which might be being “adopted” as a substitute of being lined in gravy and eaten at Thanksgiving dinner tables.
An rising variety of farm animal sanctuaries throughout the nation have began selling this various model of Thanksgiving by which households “undertake” turkeys and donate cash to their lifelong care. In return, they obtain pictures, certificates and generally even one-on-one visits with the birds.
The aim: Spare a number of of the tens of thousands and thousands of turkeys slaughtered this time of 12 months, lots of that are raised in what animal rights advocates say are inhumane situations in manufacturing facility farms.
Some folks will undertake for themselves and have their turkey’s photograph on their Thanksgiving desk, whereas others will present the adoptions to associates or relations.
At Luvin Arms, a $25 donation comes with a certificates, photograph and both a digital or in-person go to, defined Kelly Nix, its govt director. Since launching this system in 2022, the sanctuary, situated about 25 miles north of Denver, has seen the variety of sponsorships double yearly. And this 12 months they’re on observe to achieve their aim of $18,000, she mentioned.
Luvin Arms’ web site options Gus and a gaggle of turkeys together with their character traits (Gus may be very talkative!) as a part of its sponsor-a-turkey program. It encourages the general public to donate for the birds for Thanksgiving and possibly even rethink their vacation traditions.
The funds have helped pay for extending the turkeys’ outside pasture space, together with feeding and rescuing extra turkeys. They’ve helped with veterinary payments, which may generally value hundreds of {dollars} due to the medical issues that come up for turkeys that come from manufacturing facility farms, which breed them to develop very massive in a brief time frame, mentioned Nix. Within the wild, turkeys are likely to stay a mean of three or 4 years, in response to the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation.
However the sanctuary says this system is about extra than simply the turkeys or cash. There’s additionally an vital instructional issue, whether or not studying concerning the situations in manufacturing facility farms or that turkeys are extra than simply centerpieces.
“Even when it makes you cease and double assume what it’s you are about to do,” mentioned Nix. “Or that you just’re like, ‘wow this can be a lifetime of a sentient being,’ for us, that is a dialog starter.”
Farm Sanctuary, which is situated in New York and California, is believed to be the primary to launch this kind of turkey adoption program, kicking it off in 1986. Gene Baur, its president and co-founder, mentioned initially the general public was not solely confused about this system however concerning the idea of rescuing cattle altogether.
Within the practically 4 a long time since, the sanctuary has rescued hundreds of turkeys. And the general public has not solely caught on to the idea however in some years has donated a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars}, Baur mentioned.
“We develop up with sure traditions. However simply because one thing is a convention doesn’t suggest that it wants to stay as a convention,” mentioned Baur.
Barn Sanctuary has had an analogous program since 2023 in Chelsea, Michigan. Chase DeBack, its advocacy, training and engagement coordinator, mentioned it is about shining a extra constructive gentle on the birds and their distinct personalities.
He rattles off among the group’s residents like they’re shut associates: Lewis is not a lot of a folks individual however loves spending occasions with the ladies. Sabrina and Hilda are at all times serious about what persons are bringing into the coop and what everybody’s doing.
“You solely hear about form of the useless turkeys,” mentioned DeBack. “And so we actually wished to shine a lightweight on the distinctive personalities that turkeys have and the way loving and caring they’re for people and for one another.”
