3 min read
Ahead of this year’s “ThanksVegan” celebrations, PETA has been urging people across North America to choose a compassionate holiday feast.
Each year in the U.S., approximately 46 million turkeys are killed and sold for Thanksgiving. Turkeys are playful, intelligent individuals who protect their flocks and bond with humans—some turkeys who live on farm sanctuaries have even been known to choose their favorite people.
In the meat industry, turkeys are killed when they’re only 3 to 5 months old, and during their short lives they’re denied even the simplest pleasures, such as running, building nests, and raising their young. And there’s no such thing as “humanely raised” turkeys.
We’re urging people to show turkeys, pigs, cows, and all other animals respect by leaving them off their Thanksgiving table.
Here are some of the ways PETA has helped make Thanksgiving better for all animals in 2024:
Ahead of Thanksgiving in Canada on October 14, we placed ads on 25 benches in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that read, “Turkeys Feel Pain, Too. Don’t Have a Hand in Their Suffering. Please, Go Vegan.” The ads were located near Kid City (an indoor amusement park) and several schools and daycare centers.
We also placed a version of the ad on three digital billboards in Windsor, Ontario, since Ontario is a top turkey-producing province. PETA supporters handed out free Gardein vegan Turk’y Roasts to passersby just a stone’s throw from the sky-high messages.
In Guelph, Ontario, PETA supporters set up a table outside a local grocery store and handed out 30 Tofurky roasts to encourage people to celebrate ThanksVegan with a centerpiece that nobody had to die for. Passersby were extremely grateful, and many of them even posed for a photo with their vegan roast and a sign.
As the organizer was purchasing the roasts for the giveaway, a man in line behind her at the grocery store asked why she was buying so many. When she told him that she was working with PETA to hand them out and urge people to celebrate a vegan Thanksgiving, he offered to purchase two of the roasts as a donation to support our cause.
Having a wonderful ThanksVegan at home is a compassionate and fulfilling way to embrace holiday tradition without harming anyone.
Most supermarkets stock a variety of animal-free options at wallet-friendly prices—from dairy-free butter to vegan turkey roasts—so swapping ingredients is a snap.
PETA’s free ThanksVegan guide will help you cook the meal of your life for the next holiday and many more to come. Whether you’re hosting, traveling, or hunkering down at home for a small-scale feast, we’ve got you covered:
