59m/ 4h
Gus the turkey at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Erie, Colorado, lives a pampered life after being pardoned by the governor in 2023 and is now featured in a turkey adoption program that has doubled sponsorships yearly. Executive director Kelly Nix explains that the program, which launched in 2022 and allows families to sponsor turkeys for $25, aims to educate the public about factory farming and encourage compassion toward turkeys as sentient beings. Similar initiatives, including the annual "cuddle therapy" at The Gentle Barn with Ellie Laks, are fostering empathy and challenging traditional Thanksgiving practices by highlighting turkeys' complex emotional lives.