Nearly 14,000 Americans Urge President Obama to Send Pardoned Thanksgiving Turkeys to Farm Sanctuary

Organization Hopeful Third Time Will Be the Charm in Seeking Refuge for Turkeys Pardoned at White House Thanksgiving Ceremony

On Wednesday, November 17, Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, submitted a petition nearly 14,000 signatures strong to President Obama urging the White House to send the two turkeys who will be pardoned in a ceremony next week to their world-class shelter in Watkins Glen, New York. The petition asserts that the shelter is uniquely equipped to provide the expert care necessary for the health, comfort, and longevity of these birds. For the past five years, the birds have been sent to a Disney theme park, where many have died within just one year. At press time, the location to which this year’s birds will be sent has not been confirmed, but some reports suggest they may be going to Mount Vernon.

“We are offering the Obama administration an opportunity to distinguish itself from past administrations by starting a new, compassionate Thanksgiving tradition that is more in-step with Americans’ growing concern about the welfare of animals raised for food,” says Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary. “By sending the pardoned birds to Farm Sanctuary’s renowned shelter in Watkins Glen, New York, the Obama Administration can show that it cares about the humane treatment of animals, and ensure that the turkeys get the expert care they need to thrive.”

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Pawsitively Purrfect Cookbook Recipes for the Chowhound in Us All

From Friends of Long Beach Animals (Long Beach, California 90807)

Dear Friends,

Friends of Long Beach Animals thank you for the great recipes you submitted in fall of 2009, with wonderful pictures and dedications. We are working diligently to complete and publish the cookbook even at this time. Unfortunately, there has been a major glitch. The recipes were on a computer that crashed and we lost some valuable information. The problem is we do not know what was lost. We are now back on track with a generous volunteer that has put together as much information that could be salvaged. We need for you to email: folbacookbook@aol.com and ask for the index that has been compiled and check to see if your recipes are intact or even missing. If they are not correct, then you can resubmit them to the same email address so we can do our best to correct the information. Please find your name on the index that will be sent to you to folbacookbook@aol.com. If everything is correct, then you don’t have to do anything. If a picture or dedication, or your recipe, is missing then please re-submit it in response to the same email address.

Also, if you have friends or relatives who submitted recipes and are not on our mailing list, please forward this information to them.

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CHS: Celebrate National Adopt-A-Senior Pet Month!

Bring a homeless cat into your family and experience a lifetime of love.

by Alicia Wright

During the 1970s, an estimated 12 – 20 million homeless pets were put to sleep every year. Today that number has been reduced to approximately 4 million. Thanks to the continual efforts of animal welfare groups all over the country, our society has made significant progress in decreasing the amount of animals that become homeless and has been successful in reducing the number of adoptable pets that are euthanized.

Yes, that’s right…by making shelter adoption your FIRST option, you are saving lives.

Did you know that the amount of homeless cats is nearly double that for dogs? Did you know that 25% of homeless pets are pure breeds? Did you know that, on average, dogs take 16 days to get adopted and cats take 24 days to find their forever home? Did you know that if the pets are over 5 years old, the length of stay could be even longer despite good health and exceptional behavior? Did you know that most shelters and animal welfare groups have programs in place that provide vaccinations, spay/neuter and medical care for the pets PRIOR to adoption? (This means that in many cases, you do not have to incorporate these expenses into your budget immediately after bringing your new pet home!)

Celebrate the National Adopt a Senior Pet month by going to your local shelter and bringing a mature pet into your life. The Connecticut Humane Society (Newington, Connecticut 06111) has a number of incentives designed to encourage the adoption of senior pets

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