Butterball turkey besieged by trolls as shocking PETA animal abuse claims torpedo Thanksgiving sales

Turkey supplier Butterball has been besieged by trolls after a shocking PETA investigation showed animal abuse inside the company's factory, causing Thanksgiving sales to torpedo. 

After gut-wrenching footage recorded by PETA two decades ago showed brutal abuse and torture of turkeys, angered fans have been trolling the food giant's social media pages as they demand Butterball own up. 

'Ok, you better be ready to answer for that video that PETA just released!' one Instagram user commented. 'I don't agree with everything that PETA does, but you better damn well believed I'll be boycotting you for this!' 

One user even said they 'threw away my Butterball turkey and will never be buying from you again,' as calls for a boycott continue to rise just days before Thanksgiving.

'What type of employees do y'all hire?' another questioned. 

It comes after PETA's investigation showed workers sitting on turkeys, smacking and humping the animals, and sexually abusing them at the Ozark, Arkansas location in 2006. 

An undisclosed investigator revealed the alleged atrocities he witnessed as workers 'shackled and slaughtered' more than 50,000 turkeys each day, according to PETA.

In the shockingly graphic video, the investigator claimed he saw a Butterball employee shoving his finger up a turkey's cloaca, or vagina, for 'fun.'

Another worker allegedly 'humped' a turkey while it was restrained.

The investigator recalled another haunting instance when a 'worker was taunting another worker by holding a bird by the legs and jerking her back and forth.

'The second guy just grabbed the bird and punched her.'

Footage showed workers aggressively handling multiple turkeys - throwing, striking and hanging them to death.

Since then, people have been quick to call the company a 'literal disgrace' and wished 'shame' on them. 

'Disgusting! I hope PETA ends [you],' one wrote. 

Many former Butterball fans were upset the company wasn't speaking out on the matter and went to great lengths to 'hide' comments criticizing it's brand on Instagram. 

'So, you guys are just gonna not do anything about the fact that your workers are raping and torturing turkeys?!!!!!!' 

'You're gonna keep quiet? Well then I hope you go bankrupt.' 

'I'm done @butterballturkey. You're workers ABUSE innocent LIVING animals, they are disgusting demons!!!' 

Leading up to the holiday, PETA has been sharing social media content urging viewers to skip out on the poultry staple this year. 

'It's never too late to go out there and grab that vegan roast,' Amber Canavan, the Vegan Campaign Project Manager for PETA, told DailyMail.com. 'Spare that turkey from the horrors of the slaughterhouse.'

In response to the online backlash the company is receiving, a Butterball representative wrote to DailyMail.com: 'We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being re-shared across social media. 

'This video is not current and in no way reflects our animal welfare policies.

'Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. That means maintaining the health and well-being of our turkeys is an ongoing effort.'

The spokesperson added that Butterball has yearly audits conducted by a third party to make sure facilities are complying with the '200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys.'

She added: 'Butterball was the first and remains the only turkey company that is American Humane certified. We are proud to be one of every three turkeys on the table this Thanksgiving.'

This month alone, Butterball has sold about 15million turkeys across the country, Fleet Owner reported.

PETA claims that its exposé from nearly two decades ago is not a one-off.

'PETA has conducted even more recent investigations that are still showing that abuse is rampant,' Canavan said.

She pointed to another PETA investigation from 2021 into Plainville Farms, which 'also documented workers simulating sex acts on turkeys.'

As a result of the investigation, workers at the Pennsylvania facility faced several felonies and 141 charges.

No charges against Butterball came from the 2006 investigation, but charges were brought against employees years later for a separate situation.

In 2011, a North Carolina Butterball plant was raided after workers were caught abusing turkeys.

In an investigation similar to PETA's, nonprofit Mercy for Animals went undercover and witnessed several instances of animal cruelty.

Multiple workers were hit with charges related to the reported abuse. They were caught on video kicking and stomping on the helpless birds.