CRIPPLED, SICK AND DEFORMED TURKEYS SUFFER IN SILENCE IN FLEMISH STABLES

In the footage we see how a turkey with a tumor the size of a ping pong ball on its' head and severely deformed toes stumbles through the barn. There is also a turkey with a giant, sagging tumor on the chest. We see a gaping, bleeding wound on yet another animal. The animals with painfully deformed toes and legs, leg growths or animals that simply cannot stand on their legs cannot be counted. There are no signs of medical care to be seen.

The feathers of the turkeys, that should look white and well-groomed, are smeared with manure, dirt and are badly damaged. Most of the turkeys have bald spots. This is the standard that we see everywhere, the 'normal' of commercial turkey farming.

In addition, we also see how turkeys wade through the mud and sink into it up to their 'ankles'. The housing is below all standards. Carcasses that have clearly been in the barn for days are pushed into the dirty, muddy surface. The animals have to watch as their sick companions slowly perish and their deceased 'relatives' decay, teeming with maggots.

Animal Rights handed over the footage to the Belgian Animal Welfare Inspectorate. In addition, we filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office through our lawyer against the companies for withholding care and the unsanitary living conditions.

Van Campenhout: "If this were to happen to pets, the animals would have been confiscated a long time ago and the owner would never be allowed to keep animals again. We believe that we need to take tough action here."

We know these images are not 'extreme' or 'exceptional'; footage from the poultry industry that was made in recent years confirm that. These barns are hell on earth for turkeys. Van Campenhout: "The turkey industry is reprehensible. Most turkeys never come out of the enclosed barns until they are transported to the slaughterhouse. Turkey's beaks are still routinely burned off. These turkeys are selected for rapid growth and extensive muscle mass. It is therefore no wonder they have so many leg problems." On top of all that,Turkey barns are regularly infected with bird flu and 'culled' as a result.

Beginning on Thursday, December 8 to Friday, December 9, Animal Rights holds a vigil from 22:30 pm to 01:00 am at the only turkey slaughterhouse in Belgium: Volys Star in Lendelede. With this action, Animal Rights wants to capture images of the turkeys during the only moment they breathe in the open air, which is just before they are slaughtered. We will continue to show the untold suffering that these animals have to endure during their short existence.

Van Campenhout: "From the moment turkeys are born until they die, they are crammed together in stables without daylight, waiting for death. We give the animals a final goodbye and do not let their suffering pass unseen."

The ONLY way to end the suffering of millions of animals is to end the industry.

Animal Rights calls everyone to leave animals off their plate and choose from many cruelty-free, plant-based alternatives this holiday season. Peace on earth starts on your plate!