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Almost every year, a pilot passes over the Yellville Turkey Trot festival and throws out live turkeys from at least 500 feet - 10 times higher than wild turkeys generally fly. They hurtle toward the ground and their broken bodies are snatched up by the crowd. Harming animals for entertainment is not funny. Let’s stop this turkey torture festival once and for all!

The Yellville Chamber of Commerce organizes the festival, and we asked its representatives for a letter of assurance that the “Turkey Drop” would not continue to be part of the Yellville Turkey Trot Festival in 2017 or ever again. In response, the Chamber  claimed the drop is an "unaffiliated activity" that the Chamber has “no control of.” By not taking action, the Chamber is giving its implicit support. It even calls the event a “turkey release” as if the animals are being freed or acting as willing parachutists - yet without parachutes!

We investigated further and found that the pilot’s identity was kept secret until last year when Yellville city alderman Dana Woods, who also owns Woods Pharmacy in downtown Mountain View, revealed himself as the pilot.

Bill Bowen of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette interviewed pilot Dana Woods. Woods said that he wasn’t “intimidated” by critics, and even has a “Phantom Pilot" Facebook page where he boasts of his animal cruelty exploits.

Last year, six  birds were dropped, killing one and injuring the others. Please help In Defense of Animals stop this barbaric activity by calling on the Yellville Chamber of Commerce to use its influence to stop the absurd “tradition” of cruelly dropping live turkeys from a plane flown by Dana Woods - or indeed any pilot harming animals for fun - at the festival.

What YOU Can Do:

Make a call and send our letter to end this barbaric "tradition" of dropping terrified turkeys out of planes.

1) Make a call to the Yellville Chamber of Commerce

870.449.4676

You can simply say, "I am calling to ask that your town stop aiding and abetting animal cruelty by refusing to condemn or prosecute the individuals involved in the cruel turkey drop that happens almost every year during the Yellville Turkey Trot. Also, the fact that you try to sanitize the event by referring to it as a release rather than a drop doesn't make me confident in your claims that you have nothing to do with the event. I'd like you to assure me it won't be tolerated by your city."

2) Send our letter to the Yellville Chamber of Commerce, by filling out the form on the right-hand side of this page.