Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, reflection, and quality moments with loved ones. For many, this celebration revolves around a traditional Thanksgiving meal, often featuring the corpse of a small, tortured, young bird as the centerpiece. This year, actor and comedian Sarah Silverman joins PETA in asking everyone to choose kindness over cruelty and leave the birds in peace.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Sarah revealed the traumatic childhood experience that instantly made her decide to ditch meat:

When I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad took me over to a neighboring farm to help get stuff for the meal. The farmer, Vic, told me to look at all the turkeys and pick one out. I saw a cute one with a silly walk and cried, “Him!” Before my pointing finger had even dropped to my side, Vic had grabbed the turkey by the neck and slit [the bird’s] throat. Blood and feathers went flying. I had sentenced that turkey to death! Up until then, I didn’t know where meat came from—and I’ve been a vegetarian ever since.

About 206 million turkeys are raised for food every year in the U.S., and approximately 87 million of them are slaughtered and eaten for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

In the meat industry, turkeys are denied even the simplest pleasures, such as breathing fresh air, running, building nests, having families, and raising their young. At slaughterhouses, workers subject them to gruesome practices, such as hanging them by the feet from metal shackles, dragging them through electrified baths, and slitting their throats—often while they’re still conscious—before dumping them into defeathering tanks full of scalding-hot water.

Join Sarah Silverman and Leave the Turkey off Your Table

Sarah’s “ThanksVegan” message is a reminder that all sentient beings deserve compassion and respect. This holiday season, share peace, love, and compassion with all animals: