A nearly 20-year-old video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) alleging turkey abuse at one of the nation’s leading suppliers of Thanksgiving birds has sparked an online outcry.
The 2006 footage appears to show Butterball employees abusing live turkeys at a factory in Ozark, Arkansas, and sparked numerous comments from outraged turkey lovers who took PETA at its word.
“Do you know what happened to your Butterball turkey before it was killed? PETA captioned its Instagram video posted on November 22.
In the video, a silhouetted speaker, his voice disguised, alleges that factory workers sexually abused turkeys and brutalized them before the birds were slaughtered and sent to market. One clip appears to show a man sitting on a turkey as it struggles. Others show people manhandling them. The speaker says some have “bragged” about the abuse.
The outcry gave rise to unfounded recall rumors and calls for boycotts. Butterball insisted that none of these measures were necessary and confirmed that there was no recall, corroborating the lack of recall notices on government and public health websites.
“We are aware of a video from almost 20 years ago that is being re-shared on social media,” a spokesperson told the Daily News in an emailed statement. “This video is not current and was taken before Butterball became a private company and before our engagement and certification by American Humane. Animal care and welfare is at the heart of who we are as a company, and we are committed to caring for our flocks ethically and responsibly.
The company said it received American Humane certification 11 years ago.
“We are proud of this designation that no other turkey company can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy on animal abuse,” the Butterball spokesperson said.
PETA, however, is determined to take on turkey buyers at the grocery store – deploying its “life-sized, hyper-realistic turkey transport truck,” Hell on Wheels, complete with images of gobblers stuffed with crates, in the hope “ to intercept buyers before they make purchases. a purchase they cannot take back,” PETA said in a press release.
The truck will broadcast bird calls, while sending a “subliminal message” every 10 seconds inviting people to become vegan.
