Adding a pet to your family through adoption saves a life, brings joy, and opens space for another in need.
Julie Castle
CEO, Best Friends Animal Society
The holidays are a season of full hearts and joy as we gather together with those we love. However, for too many dogs and cats across the country, it’s just another day spent waiting in a shelter kennel. Every 90 seconds in the United States, a pet loses their life in a shelter simply because they don’t have a safe place to call home. It’s a heartbreaking fact, but it’s also a problem with a solution.
The good news is that about 7 million households in America will get a new dog or cat in the next year. If just 6% more of those families chose to adopt instead of purchase, that tragic 90-second countdown would disappear. That’s how close we are to ensuring no pet spends another holiday — or any day — alone. That’s how close we are to making sure every pet leaves a shelter alive.
More than statistics
It’s not just statistics. It’s dogs like Thelma.
Thelma, an eight-year-old black dog with a graying muzzle, found herself at the Best Friends Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas. Sweet and gentle, she loved being around people but got anxious when left alone. The shelter staff brought her into the office, letting her spend her days surrounded by love, but everyone knew she still needed a family of her own.
Enter Carrie and Johnny Angel. Carrie had been looking for a small dog, but Thelma’s soulful eyes stopped her in her tracks. She and Johnny met Thelma that very same day, learned about her personality and charms, and decided to bring her home. Their quiet country house was the perfect fit: Carrie’s brother is home full-time, so Thelma is never without her pack.
Today, Thelma naps at her family’s feet, rides shotgun with her paw perched on the armrest, and even splashes in rivers on camping trips like she’s been waiting her whole life for that freedom. At night, she curls up at the foot of the bed, keeping watch until morning. “She helps take our minds off everything,” Carrie says. “As soon as we open that door, she greets us with her smile.”
That’s what adoption does; it changes everything, for pets and for the people who welcome them into their homes. When you do what’s right for the individual animal, everybody wins. Thelma is safe and loved, Carrie and Johnny’s lives are brighter, and space opened up at the shelter for another dog in need.
Making a difference this holiday
This holiday season, we have the chance to be a hero to a shelter pet. Adopting a pet isn’t just an act of kindness; it’s a gift of life. It’s wagging tails, purring companions, laughter, comfort, and love that multiplies with every day you share together.
So, while we’re celebrating love and generosity this time of year — the spirit of giving, of opening our homes and our hearts — let’s not forget the pets still waiting. Imagine if just a fraction of those 7 million new pet families this year chose adoption. Shelters would empty, and countless dogs and cats would discover what it means to finally be home.
This holiday season, let’s give the greatest gift of all — a family. Adopt, foster, or even share the story of a homeless pet on your social feed. Every action matters. Every life counts. Together, we can make this the last holiday season where any pet waits alone.
