Partridge issues PETA plea for turkeys

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. TV's "Partridge Family" matriarch is urging Thanksgiving diners to forgo the turkey from their tables this year.

Shirley Jones, aka "Shirley Partridge," stars in a new video for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in which she declares "a special fondness for birds, and not just partridges, by the way," MSNBC reported Wednesday.

"... All birds feel pain and fear," Jones says. "Turkeys -- gentle animals who are every bit as interesting and worthy of our concern as dogs and cats -- are treated especially badly."

The video has Jones recommending a Thanksgiving feast this year centered around Tofurky or Unturkey vegetarian roast.