These Happy Sanctuary Turkeys Might Change The Way You Feel About Thanksgiving

These turkeys are living it up this Thanksgiving, safe and happy on farm animal sanctuaries. Farm sanctuaries take in all kinds of farm animals, typically those rescued from factory farms or slaughterhouses, and let them live out their lives in greener pastures. They also devote a lot of time to advocating for farm animals, and many promote a vegan lifestyle.

So what do these sanctuaries do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Well, it's still all about the turkey, only the turkeys are the guests of honor, not the entree. Turkeys typically get to chow down on squash, salad, cranberries and pie. After the turkeys enjoy their meal, the humans sit down to a Thanksgiving dinner free of meat, eggs and dairy.



Lots of sanctuaries, like those run by the nonprofit Farm Sanctuary, also allow you to sponsor or "adopt" a turkey by donating in honor of Thanksgiving. Farm Sanctuary spokeswoman Meredith Turner told The Huffington Post that the rescued animals "serve as ambassadors for the billions of farm animals still suffering inside factory farms, educating thousands of people about the callousness of animal agriculture."

"Turkeys are very social, curious, and affectionate animals, so we give them lots of loving attention," Turner said. "It feels so good to watch these sweet birds who have suffered so much get to enjoy the holiday. It really does capture the spirit of Thanksgiving."

Want to veganize your Thanksgiving? Catskill Animal Sanctuary has you covered, with an entire website devoted to delicious, animal-friendly options. Farm Sanctuary also has a guide, and there are endless vegan recipes online.

In the mean time, check out these happy turkeys!

Celebration for the Turkeys At Farm Sanctuary, they do Thanksgiving a little differently. The turkeys are the guests of honor! The rescued residents are treated to a grand feast of stuffed squash, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. After spending the day getting to know the turkeys and other rescued animals that live at the sanctuary, we were treated to a gourmet vegan Thanksgiving feast of our own! During dinner, guests enjoyed a lively speaker program with presentations from Farm Sanctuary staff and special guests. This fun, feel-good event is perfect for families, individuals, long-time vegans, and those simply interested in learning a little more about animals. #farmsanctuary #someonenotsomething #acton #crueltyfree #animalsanctuary

A photo posted by Rozëlle NNewc (@rozephiliac) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:50pm PST

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@farmsanctuary #farmsanctuary

A photo posted by Vanessa Baigorria (@vbaigorria) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:05pm PST

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Today I came to the @farmsanctuary for a special "Celebration of the Turkeys." This is my friend Martha enjoying some salad and sweet potatoes. We fed them for Thanksgiving, instead of the other way around. It's one of my favorite days of the year. She has a cranberry in her mouth. I love her. The end. #marthatheturkey #farmsanctuary #animalrescue #compassion #celebrationoftheturkeys

A photo posted by Caprice Crane (@capricecrane) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:55pm PST

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For thank a turkey day, they served the turkeys and birds a vegan thanksgiving meal #GoVegan #TofurkeyForever #AnimalRights #AnimalLiberation #269life #FriendsNotFood #Compassion

A photo posted by Green Panther Press (@greenpantherpress) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:56pm PST

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Rosie the turkey.

A photo posted by kelly behr (@klbehr) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:00pm PST

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Two days ago i sponsored Tibbott, and today I got to meet him at Farm Sanctuary's Celebration for the Turkeys!

A photo posted by Phoebe (@phoebecollverfreeland) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:44pm PST

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Tommy the turkey.

A photo posted by Woodstock Sanctuary (@woodstocksanctuary) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:25pm PST

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Check out even more turkeys in the slideshow below:

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/20/farm-sanctuary-turkeys_n_6187496.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News and provided by entertainment-movie-news.com