Ellen DeGeneres Wants You to Save a Turkey
Zuma Press For the second holiday season in a row, Ellen DeGeneres is serving as Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson - encouraging Americans to think twice about contributing to the millions of birds slaughtered for Thanksgiving each year.
"Did you know that every year between 250 and 300 million turkeys are bred for slaughter in the United States?," she said in a release. "More than 46 million for Thanksgiving alone. So, this Thanksgiving instead of eating a turkey, please join me in adopting one from Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project and you can give a turkey something to be thankful for." The animal charity has been running the campaign for over 25 years, while providing support and care for over 1,000 rescued turkeys. For a one-time donation of just $30, adopters or a recipient of their choice will receive a special Adopt-A-Turkey certificate complete with color photo of a rescued turkey who resides at one of Farm Sanctuary's shelters and fun details about their adopted turkey.
"We're thrilled to have Ellen's support again this year," says Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur. "Here at Farm Sanctuary, we live with turkeys, so we know they are interesting and intelligent and have complex emotional lives like dogs, cats and other animals. Sadly, the meat industry subjects turkeys to intolerable cruelty and treats them like inanimate objects with no feelings or personalities. Fortunately, each one of us can choose not to support this cruelty by adopting a turkey at Thanksgiving instead of eating one."
If sponsoring a turkey isn't your thing, Farm Sanctuary also has a home-adopt option for those with a bit of land and a dedication to compassionate living (which, naturally, includes subscribing to at least a vegetarian diet).
DeGeneres, 53, went vegan back in 2008 and has become a leading advocate for the diet; going so far as to even launch a vegan portal on her official site with tips for those interested. Besides Farm Sanctuary, she's also been a large supporter for the California-based animal rescue group The Gentle Barn.
To become involved in this year's Adopt-A-Turkey project, please hit the official site here!