Life With Dogs: Couple Cooks Special Thanksgiving Meal For Nearly 80 Shelter Dogs

The holiday season is a magical time. Even when things are at their worst, people find it within themselves to display incredible warmth, generosity, and compassion for others. This year we’ve all endured events that have torn us apart and isolated us from our friends and family, but yesterday, humans reached out to make the Thanksgiving holiday special for their friends, family, and neighbors.

Two special humans extended good tidings to nearly 80 shelter pets in Utica, New York. Rob and Hillary Dunn, long-time volunteers with the Stevens Swan Humane Society, have begun a special tradition celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with the ones who need love most. For the second year in a row, the Dunns prepared a Thanksgiving meal for every dog at SSHS – something they’ll hopefully be eating in a home of their own next year.

Each and every shelter dog got a plate of their own, filled with white-meat turkey, green beans, and sweet potatoes – all safe, healthy, and delicious choices that dogs love! A few cats were treated to bowls of their own, and if this cat’s face is any indication – the treat passed the taste test!

The days leading up to a holiday are usually pretty hectic and spendy already, but the Dunns took their time and money from their own pockets to prep, cook, and serve multiple turkeys, potatoes, and green beans. Thanks to their hard work, the shelter dogs were able to enjoy a 100% safe meal and there was enough to go around!

Hillary Dunn/FB: “This is how I know the turkey is done”

It only makes sense to include our pets in our Thanksgiving plans. It’s a celebration with everything dogs love most – good food, lots of fun, and being together with the people they love most. These shelter dogs may not yet have family of their own, but this act of generosity lets them know that they’re not forgotten, and that someone loves them, even if they can’t take them all home.

These sweet photos posted to Facebook have been shared over 43 THOUSAND times, and the Dunns made sure to let everyone know that if you fall in love with a face in any of the photos, all of these pets are adoptable! And if you would like to thank the Dunns, you can support their favorite shelter via their Facebook fundraiser! The funds will go directly to the shelter (not the Dunns,) and they have a modest goal of only $500 each. Click either fundraiser below to show your gratitude, honor a dearly departed pet, or just participate in the giving holiday – there’s no bad reason to give!

Follow the Stevens Swan Humane Society on Facebook to see more of their adoptable pets, and be ready to have photos like this wiggle butt here appear in your feed next year!