Turkey found buried alive in an Austin, Texas yard

November 25, 2005

Before the McIntire family of Austin, Texas sat down for their Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, the family discovered something unusual: a live turkey buried in their front yard.

The eldest child of the family, Sean, was returning from work yesterday when he stumbled upon the patch of fresh dirt in his yard. He called his father out to look at the patch, then proceeded to examine its contents. The family then discovered the thirteen pound (6 kg) turkey buried in the hole; the turkey was still breathing. They kept the turkey in a dog cage, ate thanksgiving dinner, then took the turkey to a veterinarian where it died during examination.

"The turkey must have been alive in the ground for at least 2 days" said Bill Rogers, the McIntires' veterinarian, "It takes at least that long for a turkey to starve to death." No legal assistance has been given to the McIntires to find the person who buried the turkey, although the McIntires say the act violates animal cruelty laws.