Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
You know what they say: The key to a man's heart is through his … stomach. Our sexy pilgrims, who are touring New England this week, can attest to that and more. Obviously, they attract a crowd, largely because of the delicious, free Tofurkys they're handing out. In fact, the Tofurkys flew off the table—with men and women gobbling them up—within 20 minutes in Bangor, Maine.
The pilgrims also gave out PETA's free vegetarian/vegan starter kits and told passersby that every year in the U.S., 40 million gentle, inquisitive turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving dinners alone.
In nature, turkeys are protective and loving parents as well as fast, cunning runners who are able to outwit their pursuers. But the turkey industry crams the birds into windowless warehouses and genetically manipulates them to grow so large that their legs are often unable to withstand the birds' weight. Countless birds slowly starve to death within inches of food after they become crippled and are unable to move.
PETA's sexy pilgrims will be docking in New Haven today and Providence tomorrow. Even if you aren't lucky enough to grab a Tofurky from these lovely ladies, you can get tips on serving up a cruelty-free feast at our "Living" page.
Written by PETA
To encourage Canadians to celebrate a cruelty-free Thanksgiving, sexy PETA "pilgrims" landed at Toronto's Old City Hall for a festive Tofurky giveaway. Thankful Torontonians gobbled up the demonstration—literally. The pilgrims handed out 50 delicious, meat-free Tofurky roasts in less than five minutes!
Turkeys are intelligent, affectionate animals, so please have the "grace" to leave them off the table. Remember: If you wouldn't eat your dog, don't eat a turkey.
Update: The CW affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, WWHO-TV, has agreed to air PETA's "Turkey Terrorism" TV spot twice a day from August 15 through 19 during Divorce Court and Judge Karen, two shows whose audience consists largely of stay-at-home parents who are often in charge of grocery shopping.
It took months—and people in at least 26 states to fall victim to a super-antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella (with at least one known fatality)—for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to recall 36 million pounds of ground turkey.
While 36 million pounds is a lot of turkey, it's likely that far more than that is infected with sickening salmonella. In the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis, poultry was the most common source of foodborne illness in the United States. As you likely know, bacteria spread like wildfire on filthy factory farms.
Turkeys spend their lives crammed by the thousands into windowless sheds and mired in their own accumulated waste. To keep them alive in these conditions and to make them grow so abnormally large so quickly that they have trouble walking—which results in pressure on their hearts that causes more than a few of them to die before they reach the slaughterhouse floor—farmers feed the birds antibiotics, which leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Want to stick with turkey that won't make you sick or cause animal suffering? Look no further than delicious Tofurky products. Your body will thank you.
Written by Michelle Sherrow
A Formula 1 race became "Formula Wow" when PETA's smokin' hot pit crew showed racing enthusiasts in Montréal, Québec, that nothing makes a body's engine stall like animal products.
The enthusiastic crowd outside the race fueled up on vegan barbecue Tofurky sausages and took home "Think Before You Eat" leaflets. When they read about how consumption of animal products is linked with poor health and weight gain, they'll race to adopt a winning vegan diet.
Record high gas prices have motorists feeling low, but PETA's Petrol Pin-Ups are easing the pain at the pump. The lovely ladies pumped two free gallons of gas for some Las Vegas motorists Tuesday. While the pin-ups filled their cars, patrons filled their stomachs with free Tofurky sandwiches.
According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon-dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off the road.
It's tough to say if the Tofurky sandwiches or the free gasoline was the bigger hit, but PETA's Petrol Pin-Ups had drivers pumped up all day. If your gas station just has a guy with a greasy shirt, you can still browse hundreds of vegetarian recipes for a meal that's kind to you and the environment.
If fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dehydration aren’t your idea of ‘healthy,’ step away from the turkey burgers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service recalled nearly 55,000 pounds of Jennie-O All-Natural turkey burgers when the meat was found to be infected with salmonella hadar, which is resistant to antibiotics. So far, cases have been reported in 10 states, although the turkey was distributed nationwide.
Besides the fact that turkey flesh is devoid of fiber and is loaded with even more fat and cholesterol than many cuts of beef, the USDA reports that one out of eight turkeys is infected with salmonella. The cramped, filthy conditions on factory farms enable bacteria to spread like wildfire, and the antibiotics routinely given to birds to keep them alive long enough to be slaughtered contribute to the development of drug-resistant "superbugs."
The good news is that you can get the taste of turkey without the icky-ness by gobbling up Tofurky, Tofu Turkey, Native Food's Holiday Wellington, or Gardein's Veggie Turkey Breast.
We just told you about the Fun, Fearless (Animal-Loving!) Males of 2011, and now the girls are getting their turn. AskMen released its 10th annual Top 99 Most Desirable Women list, and so many animal-friendly ladies were included that it can't be a coincidence—it's hot to be compassionate!
Several Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity alums ranked high on the list, including Natalie Portman, Kristen Bell, and reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Olivia Wilde.
Some possible contenders for future Sexiest Vegetarian honors are among the Top 99 Most Desirable as well. Lovely Glee star Dianna Agron loves her veggies, and Anne Hathaway recently added fish to her "friends, not food" list, bidding adieu to sushi. Katy Perry has been singing the praises of eating Tofurky with vegetarian hubby Russell Brand, so it might not be long before his diet rubs off on her.
So many of the Top 99 ladies have done public service announcements for PETA that we wonder if AskMen searched our ads for its candidates. Vegan Lea Michele is a staunch defender of horses used in the horse-drawn carriage industry and of animals killed for their fur. Lea's abhorrence of fur is shared by Eva Mendes, who narrated an anti-fur video for PETA, and by Natalie Imbruglia, who starred in an anti-fur exposé for PETA Australia.
Rounding out our picks of delightful, desirable damsels is PETA pal Olivia Munn, who isn't shy about standing up for animals who are abused in circuses and puppy mills.
A Tofurky and some mistletoe will help to make the season bright, according to Katy Perry. She told the Italian magazine Grazia that she and her new hubby, Russell Brand, plan to celebrate Christmas by gathering 'round a pink (!) tree and extending some peace and goodwill to turkeys by dining on a vegan roast.
What a coincidence—my family plans to do the same thing (except for the pink tree part). Stars: They really are just like us.
Written by Alisa Mullins
In honor of "Thanksgiving Is Murder on Turkeys" Day, here are a few animals who are happy to not be on your plate.
Summer hasn't even officially kicked off, but the folks at the Today show were talking Thanksgiving this morning—or, rather, discussing PETA's Thanksgiving Day public service announcement (PSA), which was just named one of the "Best Commercials of the Year" by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP).
As AICP President and CEO Matt Miller noted, many networks refused to air PETA's PSA—in which an adorable young lady educates her family about the violence on turkey factory farms—but the Today show coverage ensured that millions of viewers saw and heard our "potent message" (Matt Lauer's words).
Curious and caring Today show viewers who are compelled to educate themselves about how turkeys are abused on factory farms and in slaughterhouses just might opt for Tofurky on Thanksgiving Day.
Written by Karin Bennett
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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