United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150, Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
Phone: 757-678-7875 • FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org • info@upc-online.org

11 July 2018

Stan Duffy, President Elect
Mid-Marion County Rotary Club
PO Box 40
Yellville, AR 72687
Via Email: contact@midmarioncountyrotary.org

Dear Mr. Duffy,

On behalf of United Poultry Concerns I am writing to thank you very much for prohibiting the “turkey drop” this year and making it a condition of the Mid-Marion County Rotary Club’s sponsorship of the annual Turkey Trot Festival that, as quoted by Arkansas Online April 25, this will happen “only if no live turkeys are on the premises or dropped from airplanes.”

As I’m sure you know, turkeys don’t normally fly 1,000 feet above ground, but even if they did, a bird’s decision to take off from the ground, a branch or other platform is totally different from being pushed out of a moving aircraft in the midst of terrific wind pressure produced by the plane to plunge to wherever the traumatized bird happens to land, and then be chased down if still alive, most likely with internal or other physical injuries and most certainly in a state of terror.

I retain a letter to me dated October 29, 1996 from then president of the Yellville Area Chamber of Commerce, Janie Purdom, claiming that the Chamber no longer sponsored or sanctioned the dropping of live turkeys from airplanes, which turned out not to be true. However, I feel confident that your declaration on behalf of the Rotary Club means business, and I am counting on that, as are the many other people who care about this issue and want to see the “turkey drop” – from whatever height or vehicle – eliminated for good.

Thank you for your decision and your attention. Thank you for taking a stand.

Sincerely,

Karen Davis, PhD, President
United Poultry Concerns
12325 Seaside Road, PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405
Phone: 757-678-7875
Email: Karen@UPC-online.org

 

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