Harvey

Harvey — More Than a Turkey This story is in honour of our gorgeous turkey, Harvey, who we sadly had to set free not long ago. Harvey came into our lives when he was only one week old. He was rescued from a farm where he was being raised for his body to be eaten. Had he not been rescued, Harvey likely would have been killed at around six weeks old. Instead, Harvey was given the chance to live for almost seven years — to grow up, form friendships, develop his enormous personality, cause endless trouble and show us exactly who he was. Before he was rescued, parts of his toes had already been cut off. It was something done to him when he was barely a week old — before anyone knew who Harvey was. Before anyone knew how curious he would be, how much trouble he would cause, how deeply he would love life, or how many people would one day love him. The damage to his feet would stay with Harvey for the rest of his life and, ultimately, contribute to his passing. But that isn't what defined him. Harvey was so much more than what was done to him. For nearly seven years, we were lucky enough to watch Harvey become exactly who he was always supposed to be. And what a personality he had. Harvey was sensitive, intelligent, intuitive, incredibly nosey and unbelievably cheeky. He had absolutely no understanding of personal space and no desire to learn. Visitors to our sanctuary would often be greeted by the sight of a very large turkey running towards them at full speed. Harvey would become so excited to see people that sometimes he would forget the rather important part of running — stopping. He'd simply crash into them. Whenever a new rescued animal arrived, Harvey also believed it was his responsibility to investigate. Imagine arriving somewhere completely unfamiliar and the first face appearing in front of you is an enormous, intensely curious turkey. Some of the animals were understandably intimidated, so we'd gently move Harvey backwards and try to teach him to give the newcomer some space. We tried for years. He never learnt. Harvey was also a troublemaker. He loved sneaking up behind animals while they were resting and pulling their tails. Pig tails were his particular favourite. Thankfully, the other animals seemed to accept that this was simply part of living with Harvey. One of our favourite memories of him happened at Christmas. We were having a cruelty-free Christmas at home and had just placed all the food and drinks on the outdoor table. Everyone sat down for lunch. Then we saw Harvey. A roughly 20-kilogram turkey was running towards the table at full speed. Harvey attempted to jump up after seeing all the food.He missed. His entire body crashed into the table, sending drinks everywhere and soaking our Christmas lunch. Lunch was ruined. Harvey was thrilled. Years later, it remains one of our favourite memories. Those ridiculous little moments are some of the things we miss most, because they were so completely Harvey. Life wasn't always easy for him. Turkeys like Harvey have been selectively bred to grow unnaturally large because the industry values the amount of "meat" their bodies can produce. We had to carefully manage Harvey's food and weight throughout his life to protect his health. His damaged toes made things even harder. Without normal toes, Harvey couldn't roost properly. Combined with his large body, this placed enormous pressure on his feet and he repeatedly developed a painful condition called bumblefoot. Over the years, there were countless treatments and veterinary visits. We kept fighting it and so did Harvey. Despite everything his body put him through, Harvey never seemed to lose his enthusiasm for being alive. He still ran to greet people. He still investigated every new arrival. He still annoyed his friends. He still got himself into trouble. He still found joy everywhere he could. Eventually, after years of managing his feet, we reached a point where we couldn't win the battle anymore. We had to make the heartbreaking decision to let him go. Harvey lived to almost seven years old — nearly seven years for a turkey who was expected to have only six weeks.To us, though, even seven years wasn't nearly enough. When people see a turkey raised for food, they may see a product. We saw Harvey. That is why his story matters. There was someone inside that body. Someone who formed relationships with animals of completely different species. Someone who recognised people and became excited when visitors arrived. Someone who was sensitive and intelligent. Someone who could experience comfort, friendship, excitement and joy. Someone with favourite activities, individual quirks and an unmistakable personality. Had Harvey not been rescued, all of that would have disappeared before anyone had the opportunity to discover it. We would never have known one of the most incredible individuals to enter our lives. We will forever be grateful to have shared all that either Harvey.