Press Releases

Actress Ginnifer Goodwin Stars in Public Service Announcement for Farm Sanctuary Urging Compassion for Turkeys This Thanksgiving

 “Big Love” Star Lends Support to Nation’s Leading Farm Animal Protection Organization to Educate Public on the Misery of Commercially-Raised Turkeys

WATKINS GLEN, NY – November 10, 2009 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, today unveiled two public service announcements urging compassion for turkeys this Thanksgiving starring actress Ginnifer Goodwin, star of HBO’s “Big Love” and the official 2009 spokesperson for the organization’s annual Adopt-A-Turkey Project (adoptaturkey.org), a national program designed to end the misery of commercially-raised turkeys. A special Q&A with the star on celebrating a compassionate Thanksgiving, her recent visit to Farm Sanctuary, vegan living and much more is also available on the organization’s Web site.

“With so many delicious, cruelty-free Thanksgiving dishes available, there is no reason why any living being should have to suffer,” said Goodwin, who is joined by Magnolia, a rescued turkey who lives at Farm Sanctuary’s California Shelter, for the spots. “I encourage everyone to start a new, compassionate Thanksgiving tradition this year and Adopt-A-Turkey, rather than eat one.”

Each year 250 to 300 million turkeys are slaughtered for food in the U.S.— more than 45 million for Thanksgiving alone— resulting in thousands of birds being tightly confined in dark, filthy sheds, debeaked and detoed without anesthetic and bred to reach a crippling weight at an unnaturally fast rate.

The two spots, “Sponsor a Feathered Friend” and “Save a Life on Thanksgiving,” produced by Joshua Katcher of Perhaps Media (perhapsmedia.net) and featuring the song "Recite This in Faith" by the band USVS (myspace.com/usvs), were shot on location at Farm Sanctuary’s beautiful 300-acre Orland, California farm, located 100 miles north of Sacramento, and home to more than 300 animals rescued from abusive factory farming conditions. The organization is also releasing special “behind-the-scenes” footage of Goodwin discussing commercial turkey farming and fun bloopers and outtakes from the shoot.

The PSAs, “behind-the-scenes” footage and special Q&A with Ginnifer Goodwin can be found here: http://www.adoptaturkey.org/aat/media_center/ginnifer.html.

For more information about Thanksgiving’s toll on turkeys and resources for celebrating a compassionate holiday, please visit adoptaturkey.org.

About Farm Sanctuary

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 farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.