U.K. Turkey Who Loves the Oven Spared from the Dinner Table

01/04/2010 at 01:00 PM EST

U.K. Turkey Who Loves the Oven Spared from the Dinner Table
Chris Lobina/REX USA
You'd think most turkeys would be afraid of the oven, but a brave bird in Coggeshall, England, was actually saved by one over the Christmas holiday. Tom the turkey, a resident of Howard Blackwell's farm, began wandering into the farmhouse kitchen last month, seeking heat from the hearth. "It didn't matter how many times I threw Tom out, he kept managing to get inside the kitchen nearly every morning," says Blackwell.

As time went on, Tom began bringing his turkey ladyfriend Tara with him on his visits. "We thought it was sweet that he brought Tara in from the cold and snow," farm staffer Sam Lythgo tells PEOPLEPets.com. Adds Blackwell, "When I saw the two of them cuddled up outside the oven one morning, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry."

The couple's cuteness paid off: Because of their almost human-like qualities, Blackwell decided to spare them and make them farm pets instead of Christmas dinner.

On Christmas Day, Lythgo says Blackwell treated the couple to their own big dinner in front of the kitchen's oven, serving them a "delicious" feast with "all the trimmings." And now? Lythgo says they're "enjoying a well-earned rest until next December."

Read more fun animal stories on PEOPLEPets.com:
Bizarre but True: U.K. Woman Calls Police over Kitty Playing with String
Amazing Photo! Moses the Calf Bears a Special Cross

Your Reaction

Follow Us

On Newsstands Now

Brad's Devotion: The Inside Story
  • Brad's Devotion: The Inside Story
  • Oklahoma Tornado: Heroic Rescues
  • Michael Douglas on Catherine's Health

Pick up your copy on newsstands

Click here for instant access to the Digital Magazine

Advertisement

Latest Photos

Stars and Their Pets

Gwen's Beach Bum

From Our Partners

Watch It

From Our Partners