Five Things That Make Us Absurdly Grateful This Thanksgiving

It's almost that time of year again - the one where you save the giblets to cook for the dog but wind up giving them part of the turkey anyway. The day where you repeatedly have to shoo the cat out of the Cool Whip and cover up the lick-marks on the pumpkin pie.

It's Thanksgiving. Even though it's a week early, we're already grateful for so much. To help get everyone in the mood we present the top five things we're grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Eyes are over-rated. Sunny spots on the sofa are not.

1) This Kitten and the other pets like her that we meet. Stella was born without eyes. She doesn't care one whit and loves playing with the two dogs in her foster home. She purrs like a brand new Mercedes, plays like a beast, and loves to cuddle. There are lessons to be learned from all animals but Stella and the legions of other 'different' animals we've had the honor of caring for take it to a whole new level. It's okay to be you. Play with your mousey toy and don't worry about whether or not other kittens have eyes.

RVT Laura smuggling puppies. We busted her.

2) Puppies. Every now and again we do a blog showcasing our cute puppies with dire warnings about how much work they are, but the fact is: puppies are puppies. They're stinkin' adorable.* We wish we didn't see as many of them as we do (spay and neuter folks!) but it doesn't mean that we all don't sneak a cuddle now and again.

The best thing about the puppies? We don't have to bring them home with us. But you can! We have a plethora of ridiculously cute pups available and more arriving this weekend. Want your holiday decorations ruined? Want to not care about your holiday decorations because you have someone so awesome to cuddle and love? Come see us.

3) The Quiet Dignity of A Senior Cat. We see a fair amount of the older kitties. Younger cats hate change. Older cats hate change more. Cats, in general, are lousy travelers and love their routines. Which is one of the reasons we're continually blown away by our older kitties and their equanimity in the face of the multiple transitions of shelter life. Stay flexible, make new friends whenever possible. Thank you, Rufus, Montego and company, for being such great teachers.

On the flip side of that, we're also grateful for the eternal optimism and silliness of our senior dogs. It's one thing to find yourself homeless at an advanced age. It's another thing entirely to find yourself homeless at an advanced age and still have a tail wag and an offered paw for everyone you meet. Lest we worry that age will make us cantankerous or lethargic, all we need to do is take our elder labs out for a game of fetch.

The trademark Sadie smile.

Thank you Sadie, Daisy, Mickey and Minnie for always smiling and for teaching what grace looks like.  Of course we'll keep throwing the ball, filling the kiddie pool and doling out treats. And we definitely won't give up on finding you the families you deserve.

4) Our Volunteers. Galahad sums it up perfectly - we love these guys. Our army of selfless volunteers do just about everything you can imagine doing and do it so well. The dogs get walked, the mailings go out, the store gets stocked, the cats get cuddled, the bunnies get socialized, the adopters get greeted and introduced to animals - these people are amazing.

If you enjoy reading the blog, know that most of fantastic photos that inspire these entries come from a team of dedicated volunteers. Jackie, Malcolm, Jill, Greg and others tirelessly photograph, upload and send. They couldn't get such great pictures without putting all of the love into our animals that they do. Most of our videos are done by the wonderful Elizabeth who is always available to help with some movie making, along with the million other things she does here.

We don't know what we did to deserve so many awesome folks giving so much of themselves but we know how lucky we are.

5) You Guys. Our adopters and supporters make us swoon. Thank you for giving our animals such good homes. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for fixing your pets, joining our dog park, sending your kids to our camps and programs, getting your pets vaccinated and groomed here and coming out for Walk 'N Wag and The Furball. Thank you for caring, for being part of our community and for spreading the word.

We hope everyone has a safe and fun Thanksgiving. Don't let the pets eat the bits that make them sick.

*They're only cuter when they talk!