Giving thanks with the animals at Best Friends

Cat standing next to a chalkboard sign that says, Thankful for boxes

Celebrate gratitude for everything from a tiny skateboard to crunchy leaves and cardboard boxes with animals at the Sanctuary.

By Alison Cocchiara

November 28, 2024

What do an itty-bitty skateboard, a golf cart, and a cardboard box have in common? They’re just a few of the things we’re thankful for, because they bring the animals so much joy.

For Tommy Sweet Cheeks (best name ever), it’s learning some cool new moves on his teeny turtle skateboard. Kombucha and Mona are always thankful for cozy kitty beds, but for kittens like Goshen and Spotty, it’s all about boxes. Big boxes, tiny boxes, any box they can curl up in (or try at least). They joyfully test the limits of the common phrase, “If it fits, I sits.”

[Giving thanks for Angel Canyon]

For Bug, it’s the thrill of a long car ride. Woody is all about his stuffies. And Mauve? She never misses a golf cart ride with her stylish sunglasses. But for dogs like Leo and Buford it’s all about second chances.

In the end, whether it’s a simple cardboard box, a golf cart ride, or a second chance, these incredible animals remind us that joy is everywhere — and every pet deserves their own reason to be thankful.

Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill in 2025

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill in 2025. 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.

Tommy Sweet Cheeks the turtle next to a small skateboard and a sign that says, Thankful for learning new tricks

Make your community no-kill in 2025

Last year, hundreds of thousands of loving dogs and cats were killed in shelters around the country just because they didn't have a safe place to call home.

Is your community no-kill?

You can help save homeless pets

You can help end the killing in shelters and save the lives of homeless pets when you foster, adopt, and advocate for the dogs and cats who need it most.

Foster a pet

Fostering a homeless pet is a short-term commitment with a long-term impact. By opening your home to a cat for even a few days, you can save lives. 

The fun of fostering

Two happy people sitting with a cat on a couch in a home

Adopt a pet

When you adopt a homeless dog or cat from a shelter or rescue group, you’re making a lifesaving difference for a loving and grateful animal.

Adopting a pet near me

Smiling person looking at a tiny dog that they're holding

Advocate for pets

You can inspire and create local change to save the lives of dogs and cats, and to help keep them out of shelters by working with others in your community.

Defending pets near me