We met Thelma thanks to a Farm Sanctuary supporter named Tatiana, who alerted us to Thelma’s presence at a humane society shelter in the Los Angeles area. Agents had captured the young lilac turkey after she was spotted wandering in Costa Mesa, CA. Though heritage breeds like lilacs are not typically used in large factory farms, many small-scale operations and hobbyists do raise them commercially for sale or slaughter. We suspect that Thelma got loose from one such operation.
Farm animals captured by animal services agencies in the area are made available to the public for adoption; with no screening procedures in place and with adoption fees generally lower than market price, these animals may fall into the hands of those who mean to exploit or kill them. Luckily, our relationships with supporters and shelters have enabled us to place a number of these animals safely at our shelters or in adoptive homes.
When we learned of Thelma’s situation, National Placement Coordinator Alicia Pell got in touch with Brenda, a member of our Legacy Society. In addition to leaving her house to Farm Sanctuary in her will, Brenda is committed to helping farm animals through adoption. A member of ourFarm Animal Adoption Network (FAAN), she had been hoping for a turkey companion and was overjoyed to offer Thelma a home.
Brenda has been adopting animals in need for 25 years. It started with cats and dogs. Then she took in an abused horse. Next were two chickens saved from slaughter and a duck who had been purchased as an Easter gift but then abandoned when he got too big. Then came rabbits, also former Easter gifts, and more chickens and ducks rescued from becoming someone’s dinner. Thelma is Brenda’s first turkey adoptee.
When Alicia helped Thelma out of her carrier at Brenda’s Southern California home, the young turkey ran straight to Brenda’s hens, Clara Cluck and Josephine, to introduce herself. “It was like she knew this would be a forever home for her,” says Brenda.
Thelma loves her new chicken pals and follows them everywhere. She’s also made friends with the rest of the flock: two ducks, two rabbits, and a 115-pound Bernese Mountain Dog named Cowboy, whom Thelma allows to lick her face. This affable turkey enjoys roaming the yard with Clara and Josephine and sleeping near them at night.
Thelma adores her new caregiver too. She likes to sit on Brenda’s lap while getting her head scratched or her neck rubbed. “She is just so sweet,” says Brenda, “and her eyes tell you she feels loved.”
What’s the most rewarding thing about adopting Thelma? “Knowing she will never be eaten and only receive love, attention, and hugs. She will roam free and feel the warmth of the sun on her back and the breeze and the shade underneath a tree.”
