Who says Thanksgiving is just for people? For the fifth year in a row, hundreds of adoptable dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, enjoyed a gourmet Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings.
The delicious meal was provided by a generous donor, in memorial of her beloved tripod rescue dog Jack, and was prepared by Kanab’s Sego Restaurant.
Sego’s team spent almost a full day transforming approximately 700 pounds of ingredients into an elaborate, dog-friendly feast prepared without salt, sugar, or spices. Staff passed out servings to several hundred adoptable dogs who eagerly awaited the feast and it was hard to tell who was having a better time.
“The most special part of the meal for a lot of these dogs is pumpkin pie with whipped cream, which is really fun to watch them enjoy,” said Ramon Villatoro, Dogtown director at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. “This experience is a little bit of home for them while they wait for a home of their own.”
These dogs are just some of the approximately 1,600 dogs, cats, horses, goats, pigs, bunnies, birds, and wildlife that have found refuge at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary and the headquarters of Best Friends Animal Society, which has a mission of making America a no-kill* nation by partnering with more than 5,300 shelters and rescues across the country.
For those with pets already at home, Best Friends offers the following Thanksgiving safety tips:
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Scrap the Scraps: While those puppy dog eyes can be hard to resist, it’s important to fight the urge to feed pets table scraps. Too many rich, fatty, or simply new foods can upset a pet’s stomach—and even cause pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. To make Thanksgiving special for dogs and cats, opt for pet-safe treats or a fun toy to keep pets occupied during dinner.
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Don’t Give a Dog a Bone: Though it can be tempting, dogs and cats should never be given turkey or other poultry bones as they can break up or splinter in a pet’s stomach. To avoid this potentially deadly situation, all bones, along with other food scraps, should be discarded in a closed trash can immediately.
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Steer Clear of Toxins: Some common ingredients are extremely toxic for pets and should be kept out of reach including: chocolate, onions, raisins, and grapes. These ingredients are often included in Thanksgiving staples such as stuffing, green bean casserole, and festive desserts.
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Don’t Disregard the Door Dasher: With guests coming and going during the holiday festivities, pets have more opportunities to slip outside. For pets with a tendency to bolt, keep them in a quiet, secure room while guests are arriving and leaving. Also, make sure pets are microchipped and contact information is up to date with the microchip company to help facilitate a quick reunion in the event a pet does get out.
For more pet safety tips and to learn how to bring a new best friend home for the Thanksgiving holiday, please visit bestfriends.org.
*No-kill is defined by a 90% save rate for animals entering a shelter and is a meaningful and common-sense benchmark for measuring lifesaving progress. Typically, the number of pets who are suffering from irreparable medical or behavioral issues that compromise their quality of life and prevent them from being rehomed is not more than 10% of all dogs and cats entering shelters. For any community to be no-kill, all stakeholders in that community must work together to achieve and sustain that common goal while prioritizing community safety and good quality of life for pets as guiding no-kill principles. This means cooperation among animal shelters, animal rescue groups, government agencies, community members and other stakeholders, all committed to best practices and protocols.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,500 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.
***Best Friends Animal Society has the most comprehensive, accurate data for sheltered dogs and cats in the United States, which is collected from over 7900 shelters and rescue groups.
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