TURKEY MISERY
Don saved them from death, now they suffer: advocates
Those seeking last minute pardons from President Trump had better hope they fare better than four of the turkeys the lame-duck leader granted clemency to before Thanksgiving 2018 and 2019, according to one prominent animal rights group.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claims that big birds Peas, Carrots, Bread and Butter have found themselves in “abysmal living conditions” since being spared the slaughterhouse during ceremonies on the White House lawn, then sent to Gobbler’s Rest on the campus of Virginia Tech.
The animal advocacy organization said it sent a letter — obtained by the Daily News — to the school’s dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Alan L. Grant, asking to take possession of the birds. It charges that the turkeys “are evidently pulling out their own and each other’s feathers” and may suffer from other physical ailments.
“The American public would be shocked to see the conditions in which these turkeys ... are being kept at Virginia Tech,” that letter alleged.
PETA’s request told
Grant that a veterinarian who reviewed footage of the turkeys in their “inadequate” housing found indicators of “numerous, cumulative, and chronic stressors that severely compromise the physical and psychological well-being of these turkeys.”
All four birds appear to be afflicted by discomforts including feather damage, PETA claims.
According to PETA’s vice president of analysis Daniel Paden, the conditions under which those birds are kept don’t much differ from the factory farms where turkeys await slaughter, usually when they’re around 6 months old.
“There are four currently at the school and each of them has at most 80 square feet of space, which is a fraction of what they’d prefer to be able to explore,” Paden said. “They have no opportunity to roost, forage or perch, they don’t go outside, they’re indoors all the time. The windows where they’re kept are closed — there’s no ventilation.”
He said domestic turkeys are prairie animals that live with great stress in captivity because of their vulnerability as a breed. It’s PETA’s plan to transfer the birds to an animal sanctuary in the Catskills where they will be treated by a veterinarian and relocated to an outdoor facility to live out their remaining years.
Officials at Virginia Tech deny PETA’s claim and says their turkeys are being cared for responsibly and living under humane conditions.
“Virginia Tech unequivocally rejects any allegations that question the university’s commitment to provide responsible and humane animal care. Such claims are completely false,” a representative from the school told the Daily News. “Virginia Tech affirms its commitment to maintain the highest standards of care for all animals...”
Pardoned turkeys have been shipped to Virginia’s Gobbler’s Rest since 2016, according to a newsletter from Virginia Tech University announcing Bread and Butter would be joining Peas and Carrots on campus.
“The previous lucky birds — Wishbone and Drumstick, and Tater and Tot — have died due to natural causes, which is to be expected,” the school said in 2019.
Corn and Cob, the turkeys the president pardoned last November, were retired to Iowa State University in their home state.
Paden said it’s not surprising “pardoned” turkeys wouldn’t live long, as they’re bred for fat and muscle, not for survival. The average domestic turkey’s lifespan, if healthy, is around one decade.
It’s Paden’s hope that in the future, turkeys pardoned by the president might be used to educate people on the birds, which he says are sometimes viewed as a “caricature” rather than living beings. He also takes issue with the idea a turkey can be “pardoned” by a government official.
“These animals truly didn’t commit any crimes,” he notes.