Adopt a Turkey Month

Categories:: Animal
Tags:: Pet Wildlife
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every November
Holiday emoji:: 🦃

Adopt a Turkey Month is observed throughout November, encouraging individuals to sponsor a turkey and help save it from being part of the Thanksgiving feast. This initiative supports sanctuaries and promotes a kinder approach to animal welfare. Join the movement to protect these intelligent birds and learn more about their lives.

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Expected Adopt a Turkey Month Deals

Throughout Adopt a Turkey Month, organizations like Farm Sanctuary and PETA spearhead campaigns to encourage symbolic turkey adoptions, often offering adoption kits or certificates. These initiatives are primarily fundraising drives, with donations directly supporting the care and protection of rescued turkeys. Many animal welfare groups will highlight success stories and educational content, urging public engagement. Plant-based food brands like Miyoko’s Kitchen and Field Roast may also run awareness campaigns, promoting cruelty-free alternatives for holiday meals. We will update this page with confirmed live campaigns and events as November approaches.

Platform Guide for Adopt a Turkey Month

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #AdoptATurkeyMonth. Share heartwarming photos and videos of rescued turkeys, or highlight plant-based Thanksgiving dishes.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #AdoptATurkeyMonth. Post educational content about turkey intelligence and share links to reputable sanctuaries.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #AdoptATurkeyMonth. Engage in discussions about animal welfare, share facts about turkeys, and retweet adoption opportunities.

Adopt a Turkey Month Hero

Gene Baur

Gene Baur is a leading figure in the animal rights movement and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, one of the first shelters for rescued farm animals in the United States. Since its establishment in 1986, Baur has been a vocal advocate for animal welfare, raising awareness about the plight of farmed animals and promoting a vegan lifestyle. His work has significantly impacted public perception of farm animals, encouraging a more compassionate view.

History of Adopt a Turkey Month

Adopt a Turkey Month takes place in November every year. Turkey has been a staple part of Thanksgiving every year. According to a study, nearly 88% of Americans eat turkey during Thanksgiving. That means over 46 million birds are cooked just for the holiday. Animal lovers and meatless eaters have used Adopt a Turkey Month to champion a kind movement that helps to save some of these birds. Rather than eating a turkey, they adopt one. This allows them to support animal sanctuaries with the costs of caring for the turkeys.

Adopted turkeys can live free of the risk of being eaten at Thanksgiving. The turkeys are properly cared for and get to live in comfortable homes. They can enjoy the rest of their lives as they were intended to. This is a humane gift to give to these beautiful feathered creatures. It helps to elongate their lifespan and preserve their species. It saves the animal from being treated inhumanely and living in cramped unsanitary environments. People who decide to adopt a turkey go through a screening process to make sure the animals will be well taken care of.

Most adopters are vegans or vegetarians. They usually need to have a good space to keep the bird. A barn or a sizable yard is usually good enough. Once they pass the screening process, the organization in charge of the adoption takes the turkeys to their homes. Adopting a turkey as a pet is similar to having a dog or a cat.

Adopt a Turkey Month timeline

1986

Farm Sanctuary is Founded

The refuge for farm animals is established and advocates for plant-based living and institutional farming practices.

1989

The White House Pardons Turkeys

Some turkeys are selected by the White House and pardoned to live free.

2019

Factory Farms

A study shows that 99% of farmed land animals in the U.S. are raised on factory farms.

2019

Millions of Turkeys are Killed

Approximately 224 million are killed in the United States every year.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Adopt a Turkey Month

Local businesses can honor Adopt a Turkey Month by partnering with animal sanctuaries to offer donation-matching programs throughout November. Restaurants can feature special plant-based Thanksgiving menus, highlighting delicious cruelty-free alternatives to turkey. Retailers might promote products that support animal welfare organizations or donate a portion of sales from specific items to turkey rescue efforts. Educational campaigns in-store or online can also raise awareness about the initiative.

Adopt a Turkey Month FAQs

When is Adopt a Turkey Month?

Adopt a Turkey Month 2026 runs throughout November, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a prime time to consider a symbolic adoption to save a turkey.

How many turkeys are consumed for Thanksgiving?

Estimates suggest that roughly 46 million turkeys are consumed in the U.S. each Thanksgiving, highlighting the significant scale of the industry and the impact of adoption initiatives.

What is the purpose of Adopt a Turkey Month?

The primary purpose of Adopt a Turkey Month is to raise awareness about the plight of turkeys in industrial farming and to offer a compassionate way to save individual birds through symbolic adoption, supporting their care at sanctuaries.

Which organizations participate in Adopt a Turkey Month?

Leading organizations like Farm Sanctuary, PETA, and Mercy For Animals are central to Adopt a Turkey Month, offering various adoption programs and educational resources to promote animal welfare.

Adopt a Turkey Month Activities

Adopt a turkey
You can adopt a turkey and keep it as a pet. It can become a nice friend to have around.
Donate
You can donate to an animal sanctuary. This will help provide food and adequate care for turkeys in the sanctuary.
Go meatless
You can observe the holiday by skipping meat at the dinner table. Less consumption of meat means more animals stay alive.

5 Facts About Turkey

There are different types of turkey
There are six subspecies of wild turkeys that are native to North America.
Gobblers are male turkeys
Male turkeys are called ‘gobblers’ because of the way they announce themselves to the females.
Turkeys are fast
A healthy turkey can run as fast as 25 miles per hour and fly at 55 miles per hour.
Baby turkeys are called ‘Poults’
Poults are baby turkeys and they eat berries, seeds, and insects.
Turkeys are galliforms
Galliforms are an order of heavy ground-feeding birds such as chickens, turkeys, and pheasants.

Why We Love Adopt a Turkey Month

Turkeys are saved
The holiday encourages more people to help save turkey lives. The turkeys live freely for a long time.
There’s a new pet
Homes receive the excitement of a new pet. Adopting a turkey as a pet is a fun addition to any home.
Turkeys get better care
The donations received during the holiday help provide better care for turkeys in animal sanctuaries. They get better food and care.