Gus is preparing for Thanksgiving much differently than millions of other turkeys across the U.S.

Trotting along a more than 40-acre sanctuary in Colorado, every few steps staff give him a pet or a hug or even a peck on his red face.

“Can we do snuggles?” Lanette Cook, education and engagement manager at Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, gently asks Gus, who landed at the sanctuary in Erie after being pardoned by the governor in 2023.

During the month of November, he is one of a gaggle of turkeys at the organization whose faces have been plastered on its website along with their personality traits (Gus is very talkative!) as part of its sponsor a turkey program, encouraging the public to donate for Thanksgiving and maybe even rethink their holiday tradition.

An increasing number of farm animal sanctuaries across the country have started promoting this alternative version of Thanksgiving in which, rather than dipping turkeys into gravy, families “adopt” them, donating money to their lifelong care and in return receive photos, certificates and sometimes even one-on-one visits with the birds.

At Luvin Arms, a $25 donation comes with a certificate, photo and either a virtual or in-person visit. Since launching the program in 2022, they’ve seen the number of sponsorships double every year. And this year they’re on track to reach their goal of $18,000.

The funds have helped pay for extending the turkeys’ outdoor pasture area and feed. It also helps with vet bills, which can sometimes cost thousands of dollars because of the medical complications that arise for turkeys that come from factory farms that breed them to grow very big in a short period of time.

AP Video by Thomas Peipert