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Turkeys avoid dinner plate at Thanksgiving meal

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ALDERGROVE (NEWS 1130) — Two lucky turkeys are spending Thanksgiving dinner at the table instead of on the table in Aldergrove.

The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary, a home for abused or at-risk farm animals, is hosting a vegan potluck dinner Sunday.

The guests of honour are resident turkeys Mo and Leonard, says Happy Herd’s co-founder Diane Marsh.

“We make it about the turkeys. So that they get treated specially and they get corn on the cob or whatever their favourite things are, and they join the party.”

 

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What!?!! It’s Thanksgiving! And they eat ME!!!?!## OMG they are disgusting!

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“Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be about a turkey on a platter. It’s supposed to be about giving thanks to friends and family, and supporters,” she says. “Thanksgiving should be a celebration of life and a continuation of life, so why do you have to kill something to celebrate it?”

The dinner is eaten outside and the turkeys roam among guests, who include volunteers and supporters of the farm.

Marsh describes Mo and Leonard as creatures with distinct personalities.

“Mo loves people and he shows off his colours and his plumage whenever there’s a human in sight,” Marsh explains. “He goes to the gate and greets people.”

Leonard, on the other hand, eschews people. He prefers ducks.

“If wild ducks show up that’s when he shows off his plumage. He’s a little bit of a different character.”

The sanctuary says 20 million turkeys are killed for food each year in Canada and it believes the animals deserve better.

With files from the Canadian Press

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