As we enter the holiday season, Best Friends Animal Society offers tips to help pet owners keep their cats and dogs happy, healthy, and safe.

If there’s one thing to be thankful for this November, it’s the dogs and cats that show humans their love and dedication every day. As people gather this holiday season, it’s essential to show extra love to the special dogs and cats who make life so much better.

To make sure all family members have a healthy and happy holiday, Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters in 2025, has a list of safety precautions for pets.

• Skip the Scraps: Too much rich, fatty, or simply new foods can upset a pet’s stomach—and even cause pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. To make the holiday meal special for pets, encourage guests to hand out tasty pet treats or a fun toy instead. There are also many great recipes online for homemade dog and cat treats that are fun to make and healthy for your pet.
• Don’t Give a Dog a Bone: Disregard what the nursery rhyme says – dogs and cats should never be allowed to have poultry bones as they can break up or splinter in a pet’s stomach. To avoid this potentially deadly situation, all bones should be discarded in a closed trash can immediately.
• 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 more holiday favorites.
• Perfect Prep: Make sure prep items are properly discarded as soon as they are no longer needed and keep other potentially harmful items on high surfaces and out of reach so they aren’t tempting to curious pets.

“During this season of gratitude, it’s also important to remember others that aren’t as fortunate, including homeless dogs and cats,” said Julie Castle, CEO at Best Friends Animal Society. “Many shelters across the country are currently at or over capacity, so if you can foster or adopt a pet, the time to do so is now. Not only will you be saving a life, but you’ll also play a pivotal role in helping America’s shelters become no-kill.”

To learn more, visit bestfriends.org.

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and make the country no-kill in 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to 415,000 last year. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 5,000 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.

***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.