Meet our Turkeys
Sponsor a Farm Animal
FFAS’ shelter animals are in need of loving “parents” to sponsor their monthly feed, shelter, and veterinary care costs. Our Sanctuary animals are available for sponsorship through our Sponsor a Farm Animal Program. By participating in this program, you help provide the necessary support to care for a rescued farm animal and defend all farm animals against cruelty.
To sponsor a farm animal today, choose the type of animal and monthly donation that is right for you then click the associated link to be directed to our donor page. We ask sponsors make a year-long commitment to a shelter animal and make monthly, quarterly, or annual payments.
In return, you will receive a sponsorship certificate with a color photograph of your sponsored friend, and other benefits depending on your animal. Private tours to visit sponsored animals can be scheduled during visitor season and otherwise as staffing permits. You may also wish to consider sponsoring a Farm Sanctuary animal for your friends and family as a special gift sponsorship.
Burke, Stella, Zelda and all of us at FFAS, thank you.
Our latest rescue
Snowy
Snowy is a Royal Palm turkey. She was brought to us by a family that rescued her from a backyard turkey farm. Once they had her, they realized that she was blind. She would need a lot of special care. So snowy lives here with our other blind turkey, Zelda.
Lisa with Burke
Stella
Burke and Stella formed an instant bond, and they can be found walking side by side all day long. They are so happy to be free. They follow us around like little puppies!
Burke
Zelda
When we were contacted about Zelda, she was in New Jersey at a microsanctuary. She was in pretty bad shape and they didn’t have the resources to help her.
When she arrived, we had the vet come out immediately. She could not stand, she was extremely lethargic and was not eating.
We were told she had a broken pelvis, sinus infection and she is blind in her left eye.
Over time, Zelda’s pelvis healed and now she can stand and walk. Her appetite is great! Because she is blind, she will always be one of our special needs residents. She has bonded with our rescued hen Betty and is very happy at FFAS.
The Life of a Turkey…
• Three hundred million turkeys are killed in the U.S. each year, 46 million for Thanksgiving alone.
• Baby turkeys are hatched in large incubators and will never meet their mothers.
• After only a few weeks, turkeys are moved to large, windowless sheds …which they will share with thousands of other turkeys. They will spend the rest of their lives there.
• To keep turkeys from killing each other, because they are in such tight quarters, parts of their toes and beaks are cut off—without painkillers.
• Turkeys are bred, drugged, and genetically manipulated to grow as large as possible as quickly as possible.
• In 1970, the average turkey raised for meat weighed 17 pounds. Today, turkeys average 28 pounds.
• Because of this artificial manipulation, turkeys’ legs often break beneath them.
• At 5 to 6 months old, turkeys are sent to the slaughterhouse. In the wild, they can live to be 10 years old.
• When they get to the slaughterhouse, turkeys are hung upside down by their legs, which often break during the process.
• Then their heads are dunked into electrified water … before their throats are slit.
Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary
757 South Street
Middlebury, CT 06762
(203) 725-5312