NORTHAMPTON — A turkey named “Sandwich” consistently hangs out in the radius around Cooley Dickinson Hospital, and has become something of a local celebrity — and a public health hazard, according to Northampton Animal Control.
For one, the wild turkey has turned Michael Johnson’s apparel shop on Locust Street into a petting zoo, causing a public health hazard, according to Animal Control.
Johnson, who owns MJ Apparel across the street from the hospital, said that Sandwich deserves to be on a farm. But with the way things are, he said, the gobbler has turned his curb appeal into a farm of his own, complete with droppings and food left for the bird.
“People pull up here all day long and they look out their vehicles. And then people, if they have food in their cars, sometimes they just toss it out the window. I feel like I’m McCray’s farm over here,” he said, referencing the South Hadley farm where people go and feed animals.
“People just keep on leaving out food that isn’t for wild animals, like Fruity Pebbles and loaves of bread and stuff like that. And lately he’s becoming a little bit more aggressive,” he said.
Both Johnson and the neighboring business, the Mobile gas station on Locust Street, said that while Sandwich does not peck anyone, the bird chases after people and cars.
Johnson pulled out his phone and showed a video of Sandwich chasing someone trying to cross the street Tuesday morning.
Johnson says it’s easy to track Sandwich’s daily travels simply by following the turkey’s droppings that form tracks originating outside the door of his business. That combined with food tossed onto the curb has made it hard for him to keep the area clean.
“People just pull up in their car and throw stuff out the window, and half the time it’s here even in the morning before I even get here … it’s too much to keep up with,” he said.
Sandwich has called the area home since April of 2025, said Najeebullah Khan, who works at Mobile.
“People love him and he loves them too, but some people are very scared from him, because he chases them,” Khan said. “I don’t know why he chases people, and mostly cars; the trucks he chases a lot.”
Khan continued, “He sleeps on the roof of the next building. People say like he lives back there in the evening. After evening he disappears, but in the morning, you can say like 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m., he shows up and is here.”
Meanwhile, Sandwich has no romantic life and roams the street alone. Johnson provided his take on Sandwich’s origin story, saying that the turkey’s life on the street probably began because he looked at his own reflection in the front windows of Johnson’s shop.
“I was told that male turkeys want to find their own flock, and when they see a reflection they think it’s a challenge, and they kind of stay around for the challenge that never happens,” he said. “But then he started getting fed here, so he never went off and found any females. So he’s kind of like in a limbo world. He roosts in the neighbor’s house in the backyard at nighttime, and he’s just here all day.
“He’s here every day, all day, just staring at the window. Like I come here in the morning and he’s up against the door until like noon, and then he’ll start doing his rounds,” said Johnson.
Animal Control responds
Dawn Ubelaker, Northampton’s full-time animal control officer and animal inspector, said the city has received roughly 50 calls in the past six months with complaints about Sandwich, plus the numerous times people have complained to her in person about the turkey.
Ubelaker said animal control is citing people who feed the bird, which is not allowed per city ordinance.
“While we always strive to educate the public before taking enforcement action, we are actively citing individuals who are feeding the turkey due to the number of complaints we’ve received,” Ubelaker said in a statement.
Sandwich is causing a situation that is not only harmful to himself, but he is also endangering traffic and public health, she said.
Relocated wild animals disrupt the established population in nature, and introduce new germs and diseases while creating an unnatural competition for food and resources. The food that Sandwich is being given is also a danger to his health.
“Providing food for wildlife causes several issues including malnutrition, introduction of disease, destroying survival skills, reduction in stored fat reserves for winter, etcetera,” said Ubelaker. “In the case with the bird near Cooley Dickinson Hospital, it’s causing a significant increase in public safety risk for vehicle collisions. Turkey feces can also carry bacteria like salmonella and avian influenza — both of which are communicable to people. There are — a lot — of feces on the pavement in front of Michael Johnson’s printing shop, which is unsafe for him and customers. Just sweeping up the feces and inhaling the ‘dust’ can cause significant health issues. “
Johnson said he has repeatedly brought his concerns to animal control, and wants to see more people being fined for feeding Sandwich.
He said, “I feel really bad for the turkey but at the same time there’s an ordinance to not feed wild animals, and if no one enforces it, should there even be an ordinance?”
Ubelaker said that, “Unfortunately, it can be difficult to patrol for violations in feeding wildlife due to the nature of other calls we receive throughout the day — abuse, neglect cases, animal bite reports, etcetera.”
While there is a swath of people feeding the bird, one person who lives in the area has been a leader in feeding the turkey and calls it her “pet,” said the business owners.
“She’s everyday here in evening time, and she says, ‘he’s my pet.’ But the turkey is wild,” said Khan.
That person could not be reached for comment.
The solution is also not as simple as finding Sandwich a new home. State law states that wild animals cannot be relocated.
“I’ve always thought, ‘oh it’s a simple solution. Just bring them to the woods.’ That’s not an option. You can’t do that.” said Johnson. “I don’t want the turkey to die, I just want people to stop feeding it.”
Ubelaker said, “One of the perks of living in this great city is all the local wildlife. It’s important to remember, though, that it is wildlife, and should be left alone to remain as such.”