• Blog by volunteer blog writer Victoria Smitth

Following my last blog about the atrocities of turkey farming, this piece is dedicated to the only thing we should be doing with turkeys at Christmas...celebrating them for the beautiful animals that they are! 

So enjoy this selection of wonderful turkeys, as a reminder of who these individuals actually are when they’re given a chance to live their lives away from the hell of farms, and in the peace and safety of sanctuary. ‍

Frankie: Surge Sanctuary 

Frankie is two years old, and started life in a large turkey farm, where she was being raised for slaughter for Christmas. Frankie arrived at Surge with other turkeys, and though she was the most timid of the group when she first arrived, she’s a sweet, gentle girl who has grown to love the company of humans, and eating broccoli.

Her caregivers say:

‘She often plods over and sits down next to, or in the laps our volunteers for a cuddle. Frankie has slightly wonky toes, which are made more aligned when we wrap her feet to take the pressure of the sides. These tiny shoes allow her to walk more steadily and make her more comfortable overall, and she gets a new colourful pair each week! She always falls asleep on our laps when its shoe-change time (aka cuddle time!)’  

Clive & Snack: Hopefield Animal Sanctuary 

Clive is also two years old, and the hero of his own story! He was found as a tiny baby running away from a turkey farm. His human friends say that he just LOVES munching on fresh fruit and veg! Clive's best friend is a cockerel called Snack, who also arrived at Hopefield as a tiny chick around the same time, after being dropped by a bird of prey into someone’s garden! (They’re a children’s book just asking to be written!) What a gorgeous duo.  

Stocking & Pudding: The Base Vegan Retreat 

Not much is known about Stocking & Pudding’s lives before they were rescued and arrived at The Base Retreat. Now, they enjoy the easy life, snacking on their favourite treats - blueberries, peas and lettuce, and basking in the sunshine. They’re also total chatterboxes, and aren’t shy to show off their wide vocabulary. 

Stocking and pudding are pretty inseparable, and have a lot of love for each other. They also love making human friends, and get super excited when they see visitors arriving at the sanctuary, as they know they’re going to get attention and cuddles, which they’ll happily accept for hours. 

Prudence: The Retreat Animal Rescue 

Prudence found sanctuary at The Retreat less than a month ago, after a member of the public found her injured on the side of a road, possibly after escaping from a turkey farm or a transport truck. Her caregivers can only estimate her age, but think she’s fairly young. They say:

'She loves corn and greens, but will pretty much devour anything you put in front of her! She's a nervous girl, particularly as she had to be handled a bit at the start to have her wounds treated, but she loves making a mess, scratching up newspapers, and rolling around in a dust bath. She's also incredibly talkative and makes the sweetest little chirps!'  

Prudence is still in birdy-hospital, but is certainly lucky to be embarking on her best life in the safety of The Retreat. 

Support your Local Animal Sanctuary

Despite the horror of the meat industry, there are many turkeys who have found safety. Why not visit your nearest sanctuary and see for yourself how friendly and curious these birds are, and share the message with your friends and family that turkeys don’t belong on our plates. Please make compassionate choices this Christmas – and every day. 

As always, 

For the animals. 

‍