Ahead of Thanksgiving, PETA’s multipronged “ThanksVegan” campaign has been hitting cities across the nation with “turkey showgirls,” star-studded messages, and lots of free food—all to help people enjoy a vegan holiday and give birds a break.

The festivities kicked off November 5 in Woodland Hills, California, where a flock of PETA “chicks” in turkey-themed tutus and bright orange faux-feather headdresses gave away over 100 vegan roasts in just two hours, along with vegan holiday recipe guides, stickers, and pro-animal holiday centerpieces. Over the following days, the “turkey showgirls” zigzagged across the country, stopping in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Beaverton and Portland, Oregon, giving away more than 1,000 vegan holiday roasts—and more than a few shots of Wild Turkey.

Clockwise from top left: PETA “showgirls” give out free vegan roasts and recipe guides in Philadelphia; Beaverton, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; and Detroit. Credit: PETA

After learning about the many health benefits of eating vegan and how easy it is to switch, one Philadelphian exclaimed, “Thanks. You saved my life!” Another grateful roast recipient remarked, “My wife has been cooking more plant-based meat in the air fryer, and it’s actually good. She’ll be so happy that I’m bringing her a whole roast.” A woman in Orlando, Florida, picked up a roast so she could take part in a vegan Thanksgiving to support her vegan son. Other comments included, “Wow, I just pop it in the oven and it’s ready—that’s so easy,” “Sure, I’ll try it. My boyfriend eats that stuff, and I’ll eat whatever tastes good,” “I didn’t know something like this existed. I can’t wait to try it,” and “Thank you so much. I’m so excited!”

Meanwhile, passersby in Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; and Minneapolis got an eyeful of a nearly nude human “turkey”—trussed up and served alongside traditional Thanksgiving side dishes—who encouraged people to “put yourself in their place” while PETA supporters nearby distributed even more free vegan roasts and recipe guides.

PETA’s human “turkey” display in Kansas City, Missouri

Celebrities are also getting in on the ThanksVegan push: Oscar winner and longtime PETA friend Joaquin Phoenix lent his voice to PETA’s undercover exposé revealing horrific abuse of turkeys at Plainville Farms’ suppliers, and actor and comedian Sarah Silverman appears in a new message urging viewers to see Thanksgiving through the eyes of a turkey and leave the birds in peace this holiday.

PETA has blanketed the country with sky-high appeals and unmissable messages reminding people that turkeys are individuals and encouraging them to enjoy a delicious vegan Thanksgiving that gives everyone something to be thankful for. PETA also recently launched Tommy, a brand-new cutting-edge chatbot available through ChatGPT that users can turn to for delicious ThanksVegan recipes and tips.

Tommy, PETA’s AI turkey chatbot

PETA’s message greets holiday travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Credit: PETA

“Thanksgiving should be a time to celebrate with friends and loved ones, but for the tens of millions of turkeys slaughtered every year, it’s a nightmare,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges everyone to show turkeys and all species compassion by keeping animals off their plates and enjoying a delicious ThanksVegan instead.”

In nature, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, and roosting high in trees. Free-roaming turkeys can live up to 10 years, but those raised for food are normally slaughtered when they’re between 14 and 18 weeks old. In the U.S., approximately 46 million turkeys are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone. Workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot water in defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.

Photo: © Robert Khafizov | Dreamstime.com

In addition to sparing the lives of nearly 200 animals a year, everyone who goes vegan slashes their carbon footprint and reduces their risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other ailments.

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, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

If you wouldn’t eat your dog, why eat a turkey? That’s the question PETA is asking Tulsans this holiday season with an eye-catching new message on the sides of local buses. Tulsa Transit twice rejected the family-friendly, pro-vegan appeal as “controversial” and then “not appropriate,” but it reversed its decision after public pressure and agreed to place the appeals on local buses in time for Thanksgiving.

“A growing number of people are rejecting killing animals to celebrate anything, and they find it beyond inappropriate to do so when there are wonderful vegan options,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Turkeys desire to live in peace, not in pieces, as they, like us, feel pain, fear, love, and joy, and they don’t deserve to be reduced to a holiday meal.”

Each year in the U.S., about 46 million turkeys—typically between 14 and 18 weeks old—are killed and sold for Thanksgiving alone. During their short lives, they are forced to stand in their own waste and are bred to grow so large so quickly that their legs give out. At the slaughterhouse, workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.

PETA initially planned to place two bus ads ahead of Oktoberfest and Thanksgiving. When Tulsa Transit first rejected PETA’s ads, the group pointed out that the rejection amounted to a violation of its First Amendment rights, and in March, the agency agreed to run the ads. Tulsa Transit then adopted a new ad policy in April and waited until August—a few weeks before the first ad was slated to run—to notify PETA that it was rejecting the ads under that policy. PETA filed an open records request to learn more—and then, suddenly, Tulsa Transit reversed its decision and agreed to run the ads.

Since that reversal came too late to use the planned Oktoberfest message, which asked viewers to leave pigs in peace, the group paired its Thanksgiving message with a New Year–themed appeal featuring an adorable lamb who pleads with viewers not to wear wool, as PETA entities have documented cruelty to sheep at wool operations worldwide in 14 exposés.

Tulsa buses are featuring PETA’s messages through February 14.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat, wear, or abuse in any other way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

It’s no joke: Shake Shack’s NFL season promotion, which uses the code “CHICKENDANCE,” has resulted in PETA sending an urgent letter to Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti urging him to end the promo, because the only “dance” chickens do is an agonizing death “dance” as they struggle to right themselves and escape the whirling blades of a slaughter line on which they hang upside down by their legs. PETA is also urging Shake Shack to introduce vegan chicken to its menu—a move that would benefit birds and help the restaurant chain keep up with a growing consumer trend.

“Slamming chickens’ legs into metal shackles is so petrifying and violent that the chickens struggle and ‘dance’ on the line, causing people who eat their wings and legs to often find evidence of broken bones and bruises,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is calling on Shake Shack to stop mocking the birds’ death ‘dance’ and start selling the vegan chicken that even more of today’s customers want.”

Chickens on a slaughter line. Credit: PETA

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Garutti follows.

November 16, 2023

Randy Garutti, CEO

Shake Shack

Dear Mr. Garutti:

Greetings from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). We appreciate that Shake Shack offers vegan options and collaborates with fabulous vegan restaurateurs like Pinky Cole. But we urgently request that you end the promotion code “CHICKENDANCE.”

Chickens are not commodities; they are feeling, intelligent beings. The use of this promotion code trivializes the harsh reality that these animals endure. Chickens who aren’t confined to factory farms live in complex social structures, recognize one another, form friendships, and experience rapid eye movement when they sleep—i.e., like you and me, they dream. Just like human mothers who talk to their babies in utero, hens begin to teach calls to their chicks before they hatch. They’re also fiercely protective of their young.

In the meat industry, after being raised in warehouse-like sheds, they’re grabbed by the legs and stuffed into transportation crates, which often breaks a wing or leg. At a slaughterhouse, chickens “dance” only as they struggle to escape from the slaughter line, when they’re slammed by their legs into metal shackles and suspended upside down on a conveyor that brings them to the horrors of whirling blades, electrified baths, and scalding-hot defeathering tanks.

The vegan food market is booming, and Shake Shack already offers several vegan options, proving that consumers can have delicious meals without the cruelty, cholesterol, and climate impact of animal-derived foods.

May we please hear from you that Shake Shack will end all promotions that make light of the suffering of chickens and introduce a vegan chicken sandwich that everyone can enjoy?

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

Executive Vice President

“What can I make for my vegan nephew on Thanksgiving?” “How can I make side dishes like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole that everyone at the dinner table can enjoy?” “Where can I buy a Tofurky?” With just about everyone guaranteed to have at least one vegan at their holiday table, the days of asking Butterball’s archaic hotline how to stuff dressing up a turkey’s rear end are over. For modern holiday hosts, PETA is releasing Tommy, a brand-new cutting-edge chatbot through ChatGPT that users can turn to for delicious “ThanksVegan” recipes, shopping guides for ready-to-roast vegan turkeys and hams, substitution tips for vegan cooking, and even family-friendly turkey jokes and interesting facts about these brilliant birds, who are natural detectives with a love for exploring and checking out new sights and smells.

Tommy, PETA’s AI turkey chatbot

“Butterball’s antiquated hotline is still teaching people to shove stuffing up a dead turkey’s behind, while Tommy shares how turkeys are smart, social, and devoted parents,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA and Tommy encourage people to leave animals off their plates and enjoy a delicious ‘ThanksVegan’ feast that gives everyone something to be thankful for.”

In nature, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, and roosting high in trees. Free-roaming turkeys can live up to 10 years, but those raised for food are normally slaughtered when they’re between 14 and 18 weeks old. Each year in the U.S., approximately 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving alone. Workers hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot water in defeathering tanks—often while they’re still conscious.

In addition to sparing the lives of nearly 200 animals a year, everyone who goes vegan slashes their carbon footprint and reduces their risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other ailments.

Users must have a ChatGPT Plus account to access Tommy.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a “ThanksVegan” holiday guide on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

An adorable little girl dressed as a turkey takes center stage as a crowd of proud parents looks on—but as the applause begins, the “turkey” goes off script, describing how the birds face “a death so cruel and painful it makes their miserable lives seem like a holiday.” That’s the video now running in theaters before opening-week screenings of the slasher film Thanksgiving as PETA aims to give theatergoers near the birthplace of the holiday a taste of some real-life horror.

Credit: PETA

The video, directed by famed music video and commercial director Dave Meyers, begins with one of the play’s “Pilgrims” saying, “And the Pilgrims and the Native Americans gave thanks that day.” The “turkey” then takes over, saying, “But not the turkey. Because he knew this was as good as it was gonna get.” After she gives the shocked parents a few details about turkeys’ gruesome lives, the video ends with a simple message: Go vegan.

“Thanksgiving is a time to express our gratitude and practice empathy, but it’s a true horror story for turkeys, who don’t want to be carved up any more than we do,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is bringing this message to the big screen near Plymouth, where Thanksgiving began, to encourage everyone to start a new, compassionate tradition by celebrating ‘ThanksVegan’ this year.”

Turkeys are protective and loving parents as well as spirited explorers who can climb trees. Yet every year, approximately 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving alone. Turkeys raised for food are commonly slaughtered in the first six months of their life. The young birds are hung upside down and dragged through electrified water, and their throats are slit before they’re dumped into scalding-hot water to remove their feathers—sometimes while still alive.

PETA offers a ThanksVegan guide filled with delicious recipes and cooking tips and a list of hearty vegan roasts to help everyone celebrate the holiday with a turkey-friendly feast.

PETA’s video will play before screenings of Thanksgiving at AMC Assembly Row 12 in Somerville, AMC Boston Common 19 in Boston, AMC Braintree 10 in Braintree, and AMC South Bay Center 12 in Dorchester.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.

Based on overwhelming evidence gathered during a PETA undercover investigation, former Plainville Farms worker Joseph Nunez Rosario pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals yesterday morning in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. Rosario joins seven other former Plainville Farms workers—including former supervisor Kevin Lee Wagaman—who entered guilty pleas to cruelty charges in June and August. All eight have been sentenced to supervised probation, during which they are prohibited from obtaining any employment that involves the care of animals. Additionally, on October 12, Christopher Stephen McArdle pleaded no contest to a cruelty-to-animals charge.

Pennsylvania State Police charged 12 former Plainville workers with a total of 141 counts of cruelty to animals, the largest number in any factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history. Broadcast-quality video footage from PETA’s investigation is available here.

“Convictions are piling up among former Plainville Farms workers who abused and sexually assaulted vulnerable turkeys, despite company claims that turkeys are ‘humanely raised’ in a ‘stress-free environment,’” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Dan Paden. “‘Humane’ labels do nothing to stop cruelty behind closed doors, and PETA urges everyone who is disturbed by this case to help end such abuse by going vegan.”

PETA’s investigator documented that workers kicked turkeys, including birds who were sick, injured, and unable to walk. After failing to break their necks, they left the birds to convulse and die in agony on the shed floor. Instead of trying to stop the abuse, a supervisor joined in, kicking turkeys and berating the investigator for not doing the same. Workers threw hens at one another as though they were basketballs. One worker pretended to masturbate with a dying bird, and another sat on and pretended to rape a live turkey.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and offers a free vegan starter kit on its website. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.