- Two friends have made Thanksgiving dinner for the dogs and cats at the Marion County Dog Pound and the Marion Area Humane Society for the past three years.
- The friends prepared a special meal of turkey, dog-friendly fruit salad, sweet potatoes, green beans with bacon bits, and pumpkin puree with whipped cream for the animals.
- One dog, Lizzy Barkson, has been at the pound for over 415 days and this was her second Thanksgiving at the shelter.
While many in Marion prepared to serve Thanksgiving dinner to a handful of family members, Diana Bowers and Jayna Hughes were getting ready for a far larger audience − about 100 dogs and 50 cats.
The friends have spent the past three years making Thanksgiving dinner for the animals at Marion County Dog Pound and the Marion Area Humane Society (MAHS).
It all started three years ago when Bowers and Hughes came across a Facebook post. The post was about a group that had made Thanksgiving dinners for dogs at an animal shelter. Both Bowers and Hughes, lifelong animal lovers, agreed, why couldn't they do the same thing in Marion?
“Diana and I have just always had a heart for shelter pets,” Hughes, 35, said. “They just kind of seem like a group that's overlooked in society. So we just wanted to do something that would show them they're cared about, special, and not forgotten during the holidays.”
A real meal with all the fixings for 150 furry friends
After getting approval from the Marion County Dog Pound and the MAHS, they went to work. This year, they prepared four turkeys, a dog-friendly fruit salad, sweet potatoes, green beans with bacon bits and pumpkin puree with whipped cream.
“This is one way I can help these [dogs] feel the love and get to enjoy some of what they don't get to experience that others do,” Bowers, 42, said.
This year, Bowers and Hughes fed almost 100 dogs and more than 50 cats between the Marion County Dog Pound and the Marion Area Humane Society.
Scott Mills, the Marion County dog warden, said the meal is a treat the dogs and volunteers look forward to every year.
“This is definitely an uplift to their spirit sometimes, and they're excited about it,” he said.
Volunteers and employees helped line up the bowls and fill them with kibble before handing them to Bowers and Hughes to top it off with the Thanksgiving staples.
Lizzy, with 415 days at the pound, knew right were to head
Once the bowls were full, the caretakers placed one in each kennel while the dogs were outside. Then one by one, each dog was let in. After a brief sniff and maybe a lick toward their caretakers, the dogs headed straight into the kennel to find their Thanksgiving dinner.
For one Marion County Dog Pound resident, this would be the second Thanksgiving spent in the pound.
Lizzy Barkson, an 8-year-old female dog, has been at the pound for over 415 days. When her turn came, she ran up to Mills's 3-year-old son, Lincoln, before heading into her kennel. Mills hopes the pound's longest resident will find a home soon.
As the dogs ate, a rare moment came in the dog pound. All of the dogs were quiet with only the sound of chewing echoing down the kennel.
The volunteers laughed and talked with the dogs, some of which were sporting whip cream spotted noses.
“They love seeing the joy that it brings these dogs that don't get to spend the Thanksgiving or even Christmas with families,” Bowers said. “They have to spend it in kennels, but we get to bring them that joy.”
The shelter cats got their own Thanksgiving meal
At the MAHS, adoption coordinator Riley Bails was just as excited to see Bowers and Hughes coming with trays in hand.
“I look forward to Thanksgiving every year,” Bails said.
MAHS has roughly 120 cats, with more than 50 in its cat room where people can view them for adoption. The shelter also houses about 50 dogs.
Bails gave each dog a bowl, but not before having them sit or do another trick. As for the cats, Bowers and Hughes opened wet canned food and fed them directly.
As soon as they walked into room, the cats immediately came up to them.
The cats were competitive for each can, but there was plenty of food for everyone. Hughes, armed with a bag of chopped turkey, seemed to be popular with all the cats as they meowed at her, sometimes climbing onto her leg.
Wanda, the shelter's oldest feline resident, accepted a few chin scratches before making her way down from her perch. She waited patiently for a can of her own, which Hughes' husband was happy to provide.
Helping shelters in need
Both the Marion County Dog Pound and the MAHS accept donations regularly. For the dog pound, the Friends of Marion County Dog Pound Facebook group helps to collect donations on the pound's behalf. The group has organized an Amazon list for donators.
Mills said the dog pound accepts dog food and cleaning supplies like laundry detergent.
“Dog food is our biggest need,” Mills said.
The MAHS has a few ways to donate linked on its website. The shelter accepts direct monetary donations or through its lists. Both shelters accept donations made in person as well.
