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President Obama Urged to Send Pardoned Birds to “Happiest Place on Earth” for Turkeys

Farm Sanctuary Petition Seeks Real Refuge for Turkeys Pardoned at White House Thanksgiving Ceremony

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – November 5, 2009 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, is petitioning the Obama administration to send the two turkeys pardoned this Thanksgiving to the organization’s shelter in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The petition asserts that the shelter is uniquely equipped to provide the expert care necessary for the health, comfort and longevity of these birds.

It is a tradition for the U.S. president to spare two turkeys from slaughter by granting them a pardon on Thanksgiving Day. Since 2005 the turkeys have subsequently been sent to a Disney theme park, either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Though Disneyland is billed as “the Happiest Place on Earth,” it has not been so for these birds. At least half of the turkeys sent to a Disney facility have died within one year of their pardon.

“After decades of genetic manipulation, commercially-bred turkeys are prone to serious health issues that require experienced care and attention,” states Farm Sanctuary’s petition. “The Walt Disney Company … has shown that it lacks the ability to provide such care.” The Disney facilities use what a representative has called “normal feeding and production techniques,” which involve free-feeding the turkeys a high-calorie, high-fat diet formulated for rapid weight gain, a likely cause of the premature deaths.

At Farm Sanctuary’s shelters, where turkeys live an average of four to five years, the birds’ weight is carefully monitored and controlled with a high-fiber feed. They have access to top-of-the line veterinary care, living environments designed specifically for their comfort, and the attention of trained caregivers.

“Turkeys are sentient beings, not attractions,” said Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur. “If their pardon is to be genuine, they must be sent to the happiest place on earth for turkeys: Farm Sanctuary.”

The organization has been rescuing and rehabilitating turkeys for more than two decades. Its annual Adopt-A-Turkey Project seeks to end the suffering of commercially-raised turkeys by offering a compassionate alternative to Thanksgiving.

The petition, information about Thanksgiving’s toll on turkeys, and resources for a compassionate holiday can be found at adoptaturkey.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.