Thanksgiving good deeds: Farm Sanctuary offers rescued-turkey sponsorship opportunities

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Most Americans will be gorging themselves on turkeys and duck and chicken and all sorts of animal flesh Thursday. Vegetarians and vegans will no doubt look the other way as the animals are consumed in the ravaging ways ‘the season’ affords.

But what can animal lovers do to support the fowl that face being sacrificed for the sake of tradition? Or, better yet, what can those of us in the majority who love to eat animals do to help some living creatures?

One of our favorite animal-rescue organizations, Farm Sanctuary, is doing its part to help turkeys avoid the suffering that often goes into Thanksgiving dinner preparations. With a $25 donation to Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-a-Turkey campaign, softhearted folks can sponsor a needy turkey who’s been spared from slaughter to live out its life at one of the organization’s two farms (one in northern California, one in New York state). Since the campaign’s inception in 1986, more than 1,000 turkeys have been saved.

This year, the Adopt-a-Turkey campaign has a celebrity spokeswoman in ‘Big Love’ star Ginnifer Goodwin, who filmed a series of public service announcements for Farm Sanctuary.

‘After spending time with the rescued turkeys ... and seeing how similar they are to my furry companion animals at home, I knew I needed to do everything in my power to protect these friendly and curious birds from the daily pain and suffering they endure on factory farms,’ Goodwin said of the experience. ‘With so many delicious, cruelty-free Thanksgiving dishes available, there is no reason why any living being should be treated like an unfeeling commodity.’

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-- Tony Pierce

Video: Farm Sanctuary