SW Washington Humane Society continues caring for animals on Thanksgiving Day

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- While families are at home celebrating Thanksgiving and many stores are closed, work at the Humane Society of Southwest Washington continues.

Sam Ellingson with the Humane Society told KOIN 6 that their team is hard at work year-round, even on holidays.

"We are closed to the public but because we have dogs and cats and rabbits here who need our help -- our team is here every day," Ellingson said. "When a lot of us get to be home with our families enjoying a meal and getting some time off -- these little guys get to be here at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington and the work here doesn't take a vacation. The work is 24/7/365."

According to Ellingson, there are a thousand volunteers each year who help to make sure that the animals are taken care of every day.

"There's a little bit of a special feeling on the holidays, right? Because it is a privilege to be here and spend a holiday with these pets who rely on us," said Ellingson. "It's a really great opportunity for us to just connect with our mission and be here for the animals who need us."

As a special treat for the animals, a group of volunteers cooked Thanksgiving meals for every dog including a plate full of classics that would strike envy into the heart of any two-legged companion.

"They've got sweet potatoes and turkey and all of the fixings they might have," said Ellingson. "They call it Dogsgiving, so they deliver a meal to all the dogs so they can celebrate the holiday too."

As gift-giving season approaches, Ellingson says now is the perfect time to welcome a new furry friend into your family, but it is also important to make sure that your other family members are ready.

"Just like any other time you want to make sure you're ready for a pet and that you can really invest the time into training and socializing and doing all of the things they need to do in order to be a healthy happy family member," said Ellingson.

After the rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is the best time to give back to the Human Society and they are offering a $13,000 match making donations go even further.