Andrew Mollenbeck, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – At a rally just beyond the White House grounds, animal rights supporters dressed as a familiar Thanksgiving bird proposed an alternative dish for the traditional meal.
“We should all give animals something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving by leaving them off of our plates,” says Ashley Byrne, a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Two PETA members, dressed as turkeys, handed out dozens of boxes of vegan meals to spread the message that there are Thanksgiving meal options for people who would prefer to spare a turkey’s life.
“They have all of the flavor, but none of the cholesterol or cruelty of a dead turkey in the center of your holiday table,” Byrne says.
Earlier this week, PETA asked President Barack Obama to end the traditional pardoning of a turkey.
In a letter to the White House, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote that pardoning indicates guilt, and turkeys are “not guilty of anything other than being born into a world of prejudice.”
The group also encouraged the Obama family to try a vegetarian alternative for their Thanksgiving meal.
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