Remember Ms. Valentine ... RIP

~ Ms. Valentine ~

February 14, 2011 (Day one of Rescue) - September 13, 2012

 

Rest in Peace our sweet girl! You were one survivor and amazing turkey...

Before and PRICELESS!



February 2011

 

June 2012 - "I am a diva and I do have Attitude - I am turkey and I am proud!"

 

When I first arrived at "Foster" Farms retreat, I met Ms. Valentine, a very special rescue, just like me, except she was a turkey.  It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Ms. Valentine, the beautiful white turkey girl, has passed after a long 3 week battle to stay alive.
 
I will miss her turkey conversations with everyone who would listen and her special songs when she got her treats.  Oh, and when in a dog kennel riding in the car, she would bark like a dog.  Yup, pretty amazing!  Most of all I will miss the morning "turkey walk."  When Jewel would go to feed Ms. Valentine and the barn kitties, I would sneak (yes, I can do that now ... kinda ... it was more of a bull dozer ... "Jewel, I'm coming too!")  We shared so much together.  I still wait at the door, just in case.

A lot of my fans know that Ms. Valentine came from a "horrific" hoarding case as the only surviving turkey (all the turkeys in her pen were dead), along with dogs and if I remember correctly cats.  She was emaciated, dehydrated and naked.  She was a survivor.  Folks thought she lived by eating her feathers to stay alive until the "rescue train" came with food and people to help.

She was going to live at a sanctuary and had to be tested for "turkey stuff" prior to "crossing state lines."  Well, wouldn't you know, her blood test showed positive for exposure to salmonella (and the only way they could tell if she was a carrier or just exposed was to euthanize her and run more tests).  REALLY? 

Well, Ms. Valentine was put under quarantine at Jewel's "Foster Farm" Retreat and was given the right to live IF under NO circumstances she would be around other poultry.  Well, no other poultry here ... just us, canine and feline family.  So, very quickly I could see that she stole Jewel's heart and everyone else that she met.  She loved attention, petting, preening and would have a lot to say to anyone who would listen (did I already mention that?) 

She loved to eat (just like me) especially corn on the cob and raspberries.  When she would get her corn, she would sing her "corn song," (even I thought it was pretty cute, even though she wouldn't share her corn with me).  She got so healthy so would lay eggs ... one every other day for a long time. 

 

Fall of 2011

Three weeks ago she stopped eating and Jewel had to entice her with special things like watermelon and worms (ICK!) ... her crop became engorged with fluid.  The girls learned it was a condition for which there was no cure.  She fought for a long time but today she crossed the rainbow bridge with so many others where she could be healthy once more. 

She was such a character and a delightful personality who will never be forgotten.  And most of all - she was loved!  Remember Valentine ... she was one of a kind.

~ Summer

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