A Turkey Dog? Not What You Might Think—It’s a PETA PSA Blitz for ‘ThanksVegan’!

For Immediate Release:
November 10, 2022

Contact:
Lauren Kent 202-483-7382

With Thanksgiving just ahead, turkeys are flocking to schools, restaurants, and shops across the city in newly posted PETA public service announcements (PSA) that encourage everyone to leave the birds off their tables and enjoy a delicious “ThanksVegan” feast instead.

Thought-provoking wallscapes near schools ask kids to show turkeys the same compassion they show to their dogs at home, and other wallscapes near restaurants feature a turkey who pleads, “Please, let me live!” The appeals follow the news that former workers at self-described “humane” turkey supplier Plainville Farms were charged with 141 counts of cruelty to animals after a PETA undercover investigation showed them punching and stomping on birds—and come amid reports of soaring turkey prices and rampant bird flu outbreaks.

“When it comes to feeling pain and fear and wanting to keep right on living, a turkey is no different from a dog, a cat, or you and me,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging everyone to give birds a break this year by putting a tasty vegan roast on the Thanksgiving table instead.”

More than 45 million turkeys will be killed for this Thanksgiving alone. During their short lives, they’re forced to stand in their own waste and inhale ammonia-laden air inside dark warehouses. The birds are even pumped full of antibiotics to make them grow unnaturally large, which often causes their legs to break beneath them. In addition to saving the lives of nearly 200 animals a year, everyone who goes vegan shrinks their carbon footprints and slashes their risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other ailments.

PETA’s ThanksVegan guide is packed with recipes, cooking tips, lists of the best hearty meat-free roasts, and everything else needed to enjoy a delicious turkey-friendly holiday.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s PSAs are now up at the following locations:

• 2459 W. Armitage Ave. in Bucktown, near numerous eateries, including a hot dog stand
• 2556 W. Fullerton Ave. in Logan Square, across from a Dunkin’ location
• 858 N. Orleans St. in River North, just down the street from several restaurants, including Mogadishu, Meroë Sudanese & Mediterranean Grill, and EuroAsia
• 525 N. Ashland Ave. in West Town, near James Otis World Language Academy
• 2009 W. Grand Ave. in West Town, near Wolcott College Prep