- Video shows “Turkey” the cat at Bird Dog Arts in the Outlets at Tejon
- Turkey brings both art enthusiasts and strangers to the gallery, helping close the gap
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Customers at Bird Dog Arts in the Outlets at Tejon are greeted by a curious creature.
“Turkey” claws its way into locals' hearts and social media.
A cat–named Turkey.
David Gordon, managing partner of Bird Dog Arts said, “We always joke, I have a cat named after a bird… in a gallery named after a dog.”
Turkey brings art enthusiasts and strangers alike into the gallery.
“Turkey is that bridge between,” Gordon said. “He brings this comfort level.”
It all started when Nick Barrera, who works security at the Tejon Outlets, was patrolling the parking lot.
“I was driving and I kept hearing a meow. And I thought I was hearing something, said Barrera, "I circled back around and I kept hearing it and I was like, where’s that coming from, and I look up and he’s right there.”
Turkey was first spotted in a tree– no collar, home, or name.
“At the time I had just seen David,” Barrera said. “So I came back and I had asked him for help so we can grab Turkey… and the rest is history.”
When it came to giving Turkey his name, Gordon said, “We have four little dogs at home and I call them turkeys as a herd. And so when I got him, I had to give him a little bath 'cause he, I don’t know how long he’d been in that tree. And so he was moving around and I said ‘hey, be still Turkey’– and that was it. He became Turkey.”
And since being found in the trees, Turkey the cat has now claimed Bird Dog Arts as his furever home.
But don't worry, he puts in his hours at the gallery.
“He just loves the place and he lives here 24 hours a day,” said Gordon
Visitors even started an Instagram trend, posting pictures of Turkey with #isawturkey.
“I’ve heard him talked about in places on the coast that didn’t even know about the gallery,” Gordon said. “They talked about this black and white cat named Turkey, at this outlet.”
And, Gordon said Turkey makes the gallery more approachable to people less familiar with the art scene.
“Art can be intimidating to people,” he said. “I thought the ‘Dog’ being Bird Dog Arts would give it a comfort level that sometimes art doesn’t have to people that are new to it.”
To say hello to Turkey, visit Bird Dog Arts during their open hours, listed on their website.
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