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Rescued Turkeys Seek "Good Life" In Santa Cruz Mountains

Farm Sanctuary's Turkey Express Delivers Rescued Birds to Loving Home in Ben Lomond

Santa Cruz, CA - November 8, 2007 - Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, begins its first West Coast Turkey Express delivery of the holiday season, when two turkeys will be delivered to Karen Oeh and Michael Balisteri of Love Creek Farm in Ben Lomond on Monday, November 12. An integral part of the organization's Adopt-A-Turkey Project for more than 20 years, the Express delivers rescued birds in need of permanent refuge to safe and loving homes throughout the nation.

"Our turkey adoption process resembles those of companion animal shelters that match cats and dogs with caring and responsible adopters," said Leanne Cronquist, Farm Sanctuary's California shelter manager. "We carefully screen all our applicants and ensure they are committed to providing lifelong sanctuary for their new companions. After all, turkeys are bright, social and sensitive animals who-like cats and dogs-deserve the very best in life."

Embarking on a new journey after healing old wounds at Farm Sanctuary's California Shelter, Ariala and Rhoslyn were not always handled with such care. In August 2006, these birds were rescued from a Northwest Airlines cargo disaster that claimed the lives of more than 9,000 turkeys poults-all of whom were improperly transported on a harrowing flight from Detroit to San Francisco. Their destination: a massive factory breeding facility.

At Love Creek Farm, the turkeys will join Falcon and Henny, two rescued chickens who freely roam the property and happily spend their days exploring in the garden, dust-bathing in the dirt, and spending time with their doting guardians, Karen and Michael. Fortunate ambassadors for the rest of their species, Ariala and Rhoslyn will continue to open hearts and minds as they teach visitors to Oeh and Balistreri's farm that turkeys can be friends, not just food.

Oeh and Balistreri hope to make an even bigger impact on their community by officially opening Love Creek Farm to the public in 2009. "The farm will provide sanctuary for abused and neglected farm animals and teach others about sustainable and healthy living practices," explains Karen. "We will host fun, educational activities for all ages-including gardening and composting, canning and pumpkin carving."

Anyone interested in permanent home adoption who can provide refuge for two or more rescued turkeys are invited to contact Farm Sanctuary and complete an adoption application. Others can help provide needy animals with feed, bedding and veterinary care by sponsoring a turkey living at one of Farm Sanctuary's shelters. For a one-time gift of $20, sponsors who contribute to the turkeys' care receive a color photograph of their new feathered friend, an official "adoption" certificate, and a year subscription to Farm Sanctuary's quarterly magazine.

Started in 1986, Farm Sanctuary's celebrated Adopt-A-Turkey Project has not only saved more than 1,000 turkeys from slaughter and encouraged millions of people to rethink their Thanksgiving holiday menus, but has also shed light on the plight of the 250 to 300 million turkeys who are raised for slaughter in the U.S. every year-46 million alone for Thanksgiving in 2006.

To find out more about Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, and for helpful holiday resources-including recipes, videos and literature, visit www.adoptaturkey.org or call 1-888-SPONSOR.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.