Thanksgiving Dos and Don’ts for Pets

November 27, 2024

Aniyah Hart,

ZANESVILLE, OH –Thanksgiving is less than a day away, but not everyone can indulge in the same food.

While everyone loves a good meal, it’s important to remember what our pets can and can’t have. April Gibson with the Animal Shelter Society would like to give some advice for this upcoming holiday.

“Stay away from the hams, alcohol, grapes. Any type of skin off of the meat. The chicken or the turkey, bouillon cubes, onion and garlic. It’s things you don’t really think about, but you have to stay away from some of that stuff. It can be very very dangerous for your animals. That’s both cats and dogs.”

Food is not the only thing to think about this time of year. Some plants are on the no list as well. Plants like holly and poinsettia should be kept away from your furry friends. A safe space away from the holiday chaos and a location for warmth are also important while we approach cooler temperatures.

“We’re going to have some single digits,” Gibson said. “We understand that folks have animals outside, so we have already donated 20, well over 30 bales of straw to folks. We still have that available even if we’re not there, go on our Facebook page, leave us a message because we monitor that all the time and our staff will make sure that straw is out there for you. Please do not utilize blankets, towels, or pillows because when the animal comes in damp or wet and you have temperatures like that they will freeze to the material, and we’ve seen that happen before and you cannot fix that. Once their body temperature goes a certain level then it’s pretty much death to that animal.”

The shelter will be closed Thursday-Sunday for the holiday and will open bright and early on Monday morning at 9. Gibson would like to remind everyone that no one, including our animals should go hungry for Thanksgiving. Please visit The Animal Shelter Society, Inc. for more information.

Animal Shelter Society avoid list: