Each year, more than 300 million turkeys are raised and killed for food in the U.S. On factory farms, turkeys are crammed into filthy sheds after their beaks and toes are cut off with a hot blade.

Turkeys are also given hormones that make them so large that many suffer heart failure and become crippled because their legs aren't strong enough to hold their own weight. When the time comes for slaughter, they're thrown into transport trucks, and when they arrive at the slaughterhouse, their throats are cut and their bodies are scalded to remove their feathers—often while they are still conscious.

Wanna do something to help turkeys? Just follow the easy steps below:

Step 1: On a piece of paper, trace your hand in the shape of a turkey (see the picture on the right for an example).

Step 2: Color your paper turkey any way you want. Be sure to leave the back blank because that's where step three comes in.

Step 3: Write a short message on the back of your paper turkey to B. Keith Shoemaker, president and CEO of Butterball, LLC, urging him to stop torturing turkeys. Butterball just happens to be the top-selling brand of turkey in the U.S.

Step 4: Place your paper turkey in an envelope and mail it to:

B. Keith Shoemaker
President and CEO
Butterball, LLC
1 Butterball Ln.
P.O. Box 2389
Garner, NC 27529

Step 5: After you mail your letter, send an e-mail to PETAKids@peta.org with your full name, age, and mailing address by November 30. Several of you will be chosen to receive a special PETA Kids prize pack that includes PETAKids comics and some very cool stickers. If you're among the ones chosen, you'll be notified by December 8.

By completing this mission, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.

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And don't forget ... this holiday season, give turkeys something to be thankful for by saying "No, thanks" to dishes with meat.