Memorial unveiled for a Lexington community’s beloved wild turkey

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A few years ago, WKYT told you about "Dorothy the Turkey." She gained quite a following in one Lexington community, which kept watch over her.

Residents said Dorothy became a big part of their everyday lives. Sadly, in 2022, she died.

Neighbors put a lot of thought into how to honor her and thus came a custom-made memorial.

People in the Southern Heights neighborhood said while it might seem a little quirky and odd that they were so enamored by a wild turkey, who later became known as Dorothy, she gave them a lot of joy in a really trying time.

"It was a time when we needed hope, and we needed more happiness," said neighbor Maggie Whittington.

For about 3.5 years, from 2019 to 2022, a wild turkey roamed this area.

"She was so cute and happy, and all around us, and we looked for her every day," Whittington said.

For much of this time, uncertainty loomed, but one thing was certain: a Dorothy sighting.

"We didn't know where we were headed with the quarantine and with the COVID," said Whittington.

Whittington said she got her name from "The Wizard of Oz."

"The three characters looking for something they lacked. Dorothy gave us something we lacked at that time, so I think we all agreed that name was appropriate for her," Whittington said.

She even became popular at Glendover Elementary School as she walked past the classroom windows. Whittington said teachers ran with this and created a unit about wild turkeys.

"The students were just engulfed in the habitat, what they ate, their locations and so forth. The culmination of that was so, so cute," Whittington said. "The students wrote letters to the neighbors in Southern Heights telling them why they should not eat Dorothy for Thanksgiving."

Like a neighborhood cat, people looked out for and fed Dorothy. Whittington said she got hurt along the way and, not long after, was found dead.

"Her tail feathers were all missing, so she could no longer fly to her roost. We were all unhappy, even sad, because she meant so much to us," Whittington said.

With the help of donations and Hensley Custom Studio, Dorothy now has a memorial on Shady Lane.

It was unveiled, and nearly 60 people were in attendance. She was cremated, and some of her ashes are even scattered below.

"What you see on the memorial is actually Dorothy. She was very important to us," said Whittington.

Neighbors said as for what's next, they're going to continue to honor her memory.

When people who don't live in the neighborhood drive by, it'll give them something to inquire about.