Photos: Where the Thanksgiving turkeys are in charge

The Gentle Barn hosted what it billed as a pre-meal celebration of turkeys Thursday at the Santa Clarita animal sanctuary. Rescued gobblers and hens roamed while visitors to the six-acre spread were able to pet and feed them.

The sanctuary, founded in 1999, hosts the event, known as “A Gentle Thanksgiving,” annually. The site currently hosts nearly 200 rescued animals. In addition to turkeys, residents include cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas and emus. Supporters can sponsor the animals and visit them on Sundays when the barn is open to the public; tickets are $27.03 for those 13 and older and $16.22 for ages 2 to 12.

(1) Romeo was rescued in 2018; (2) Kayla Garrison of Santa Clarita is among holiday visitors; (3) Maya Shecter and 6-year-old Danielle Shecter of Woodland Hills make friends with Justice.

Isabelle Churchill, visiting from Orange County, hand feeds a resident.

Zephyr the chicken gets comfortable in the lap of L.A. visitor Carolyn Sennet.

Stefanie Wells of Anaheim finds herself amid a rafter of turkeys at the Gentle Barn.

Rescued turkeys are among about 200 animals at the Santa Clarita facility.