‘Hell on Wheels’ Turkey Truck to Challenge Thanksgiving Shoppers Outside Wray’s Market
For Immediate Release:
October 25, 2024
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
Would grocery shoppers still buy turkeys for Thanksgiving if they saw—and heard—the screaming birds headed for slaughter? That’s exactly what will happen outside Wray’s Marketfresh IGA on Summitview Avenue on Monday, when “Hell on Wheels”—PETA’s new life-size, hyperrealistic turkey transport truck covered with images of the birds crammed into crates on their way to slaughter—will intercept shoppers before they make a purchase they can’t take back. The vexatious vehicle will bombard those within earshot with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries along with a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. The local stop marks the launch of the “Hell on Wheels” tour across 30 states, aiming to stoke compassion for the 46 million turkeys killed every year for Thanksgiving.
Where: Outside Wray’s Marketfresh IGA, 5605 Summitview Ave., Yakima
When: Monday, October 28, 12 noon
“Behind every trussed-up turkey is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to Thanksgiving shoppers to give birds a break and opt for a delicious vegan feast this holiday season and beyond.”
Why: In nature, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, and roosting in trees, and they can live for over 10 years. But turkeys raised for food are often slaughtered when their throats are slit within their first six months of life—and tens of millions are killed each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas alone.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit and “ThanksVegan” guide are filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.
For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
