Christmas cheer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

A cheery magic winds its way through the canyon on Christmas Day at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Excitement brims through everyone, spreading from person to person, animal to animal, like a whispered secret impossible to contain.  

The holiday season at the Sanctuary may not always bring snow, but it always includes generosity and kindness. Santa’s elves — well, Best Friends caregivers and volunteers — flit around preparing the treats, toys, and goodies donated to spread holiday cheer to the animals.  

Down in Horse Haven, the home-between-homes for equines of all kinds at the Sanctuary, Annie dons her antlers, doing her very best to impersonate one of Santa’s reindeer. The 6-year-old donkey poses proudly, delighted as caregivers and volunteers gather to admire Santa’s newest addition to his team.

[Christmas with the animals at Best Friends]

Meanwhile, Vincent enjoys the warm sunshine, taking a break from all his holiday festivities. He and his friends in Marshall’s Piggy Paradise — where the pigs at the Sanctuary are cared for before going to homes of their own — feast on the treats left by Santa’s elves. Bellies full and hearts warm with affection, the pigs lounge together to bask in the sun and savor the peaceful moment in the glow of Christmas cheer.

The Christmas magic helps Wildflower burst through her package to enjoy the special holiday parsley treat the elves delivered to Bunny House — where the bunnies and other small furry friends are cared for at the Sanctuary. Paper flies and whiskers twitch as she eagerly investigates every crinkle. For Wildflower, the joy is as much in the unwrapping as it is in the treat itself.

[Behind the scenes: holiday festivities at Best Friends]

Loquat takes his job as Christmas present inspector very seriously in Cat World (the home-between-homes for more than 600 cats at the Sanctuary). He found this box of gifts particularly interesting and had to climb right in for the whole experience — or perhaps he knows the real gift is sharing the experience with others. From inside the box, Loquat surveys his domain, perfectly content to make himself part of the present.

Over in Dogtown — where nearly 400 dogs at the Sanctuary get the care, training, and love they need to go to homes of their own — Ponytail knows the fun in Christmas comes from the experience, especially when it’s spent together. Calm, curious, and quietly stealing the show, she holds still just long enough to let the magic happen — proving that sometimes the best gift is simply being present.

By the end of the day, the canyon is quieter, with the animals tucked in for the night, wrapping paper torn and crinkled, treats filling content bellies, and a sense of love wrapping around each and every animal.

Christmas at the Sanctuary is made possible by a community that believes every animal deserves to feel loved. From donated treats to the people who provide all the TLC, each act of generosity adds up to something extraordinary. It’s a reminder that the spirit of the season isn’t found under the tree — it’s found in kindness shared.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.