Resources for a Cruelty-Free Thanksgiving

This year, more than 45 million turkeys will have their beaks and toes cut off without pain killers and their throats slit while they are still conscious -- all so that they can become part of someone’s Thanksgiving dinner. There’s no better time to choose compassion by going vegetarian. Let’s make this Thanksgiving one for the birds. (http://www.peta.org/feat/turk2004/)

Factory farmed turkeys live a horrible life before ending up on your dinner plate. And don't be fooled into thinking that so-called "free-range" turkeys fare much better (http://www.free-range-turkey.com/).

If you'd like to eat out, there are numerous restaurants that specialize in tasty vegan and/or vegetarian fair, and many are open on Thanksgiving Day, but do call asap to make your reservations now. (http://www.bayareaveg.org/ug/)

If you prefer to cook at home for others this Thankgiving, check out http://www.vegetarianstarterkit.com/ and give it a go. If you prefer to cook a traditional Thanksgiving feast, but want to do cruelty-free this year, just remember that virtually everything on the table at your typical Thanksgiving dinner is vegetarian, assuming the vegetables and beans are cooked without lard or other animal by-products. And many healthfood-type grocery stores carry Tofurkey is you want to go the cruelty-free, faux meat way. If you already have plans to attend the dinner of family or friends, and odds are they will be serving turkey, take a stand as an individual and help yourself to all the cruelty-free offerings they have and simply pass on putting any turkey on your plate.

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It’s ironic that on a day when we are supposed to be celebrating the good things in life, most Americans sit down to eat dead birds who never saw the light of day or took a breath of fresh air until they were loaded onto crowded trucks to be taken to slaughter. Before they became part of someone’s Thanksgiving "celebration," these often-crippled birds lived in chronic pain and endured cruel and painful deaths. On factory farms, thousands of turkeys are packed into warehouses where they are commonly smothered and often suffer from disease and heart attacks. There’s no better time to choose compassion by going vegetarian.