Thanksgiving often brings to mind full tables, warm kitchens and families gathering after months apart. Yet behind the scenes at one small Washington shelter, the holiday holds a different meaning.
While people hurry through grocery aisles and prepare their homes for guests, the Benton-Franklin Humane Society turns its attention to the dogs who have nowhere else to be on that special day.
Their goal is simple: make every animal feel remembered, loved and part of something bigger than the walls of a kennel.
@juliesaraceno2 The pets of @Benton Franklin Humane Society got an amazing homemade thanksgiving dinner. And they deserve it. #shelterdogsrock #sheltercatsarethebest #adoptashelterpet #thanksgivingdinner #tricitieswa #kennewickwa ♬ A Close Friend – James Newton Howard
Last year, the staff and volunteers worked long hours to prepare a Thanksgiving meal that any dog would dream of. It wasn’t a simple treat but a feast put together with the kind of care usually reserved for family gatherings.
The air in the shelter filled with the smell of fresh pumpkin, soft potatoes, green beans, carrots, and a gentle drizzle of dog-safe gravy.
To top it off, a swirl of whipped cream made the dogs’ plates look festive and joyful. One staff member even stayed awake through the entire night cooking two whole turkeys so every pup could have a taste of something warm and comforting.
A Year of Change… and Three Hearts Still Waiting
The dogs didn’t understand the meaning of the holiday, but they felt the love behind every bite.
And for a moment, each one of them forgot about cold floors and metal doors, focusing only on the hands feeding them, the smiles they saw, and the warmth of being truly cared for.
Nearly twelve months have passed since that unforgettable Thanksgiving morning.
In that time, one by one, the shelter dogs found their way into new homes. Each adoption brought celebration, tears of joy, and a sense of hope that all the long nights and extra hours were worth it.
But not every story has found its ending yet.
@juliesaraceno2 These boys (and all the shelter dogs) deserve the best. Please help if you can. The link to ship some straight to the shelter is in my bio. #shelterdogsrock #everydonationcounts #tricitieswa ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music
Three dogs — Finn, Papa and Kylie — are still waiting. And as another Thanksgiving approaches, the realization hits hard: they are preparing to spend their second, and for one, their fourth holiday season inside a kennel instead of next to a family.
Finn and Papa have called the shelter home for more than a year. Finn’s allergies mean he needs a special diet, and strong dogs like him often wait longer because not every family can handle their energy.
Papa, gentle and loyal, is a single-pet dog who needs to be the only animal in a home. These small needs have caused many potential adopters to keep walking past their kennels, even though both dogs love people and have so much affection waiting to be shared.
@juliesaraceno2 Kylie struggles to find the right home because she needs to be an only pet. She’s adoptable at @Benton Franklin Humane Society. #shelterdogsrock #adoptashelterdog #kennewickwa #boxerlove #tricitieswa ♬ Only Love Can Hurt Like This (Slowed Down Version) – Paloma Faith
Julie Saraceno, a volunteer who walks the dogs every week, talks about them as if they were her own. She describes Finn as a sweetheart who lights up whenever someone gives him attention.
She says Papa has a big, loving heart too, and that both dogs would thrive the moment someone finally saw past their quirks.
“They’re such amazing boys,” she often tells people. And she means it with her whole heart.
Kylie’s Broken Heart and the Promise Still Unfulfilled
Kylie’s story is the hardest for the staff to talk about. She has spent nearly four years behind shelter walls. A few months ago, she finally thought her luck had changed.
A wonderful family adopted her, welcomed her with open arms, and allowed her to believe that the long wait was over.
But soon after arriving at her new home, Kylie tore her ACL. Her surgery required a costly procedure, and the family lived in a third-floor walk-up, making recovery almost impossible. As much as they loved her, they had no choice but to return her to the shelter.
Kylie didn’t understand why she was back. She didn’t understand why the people she trusted weren’t walking through the door again. She simply curled up in her blanket and waited, as dogs do, for someone to love her enough to stay.
The staff tried to hide their heartbreak, but moments like these stay with them. They know how badly Kylie wants a home. They know how much she dreams of lying beside someone on a quiet evening, instead of hearing the echo of barking down the hallway during the holidays.
A Thanksgiving Wish for Three Dogs Left Behind
As the holiday draws near once again, Finn, Papa and Kylie will, of course, receive another special meal. The staff will cook, prepare plates, and make sure each dog feels important.
Volunteers will kneel beside their kennels and whisper kind words. And for a few hours, the dogs will forget that the world outside is celebrating without them.
But what they truly want — what every person at the shelter hopes for — is something no Thanksgiving dinner can replace: a home.
@juliesaraceno2 Replying to @celeste Sad but true. Hopefully they can be home for the holidays. #shelterdogsrock #thanksgivingdinner #volunteer #adoptashelterdog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #tricitieswa ♬ A Close Friend – James Newton Howard
Julie gets emotional when she talks about dogs who stay for months or years. She knows how gentle they are, how patient they’ve been, how ready they are to give someone all the love they’ve been saving up. She says seeing the same faces holiday after holiday is the hardest part of her work.
“If they can’t be adopted in time,” she says, “even a foster home would mean everything. Just someplace warm, where they can rest and feel like they belong.”
She dreams of watching each of them walk out the front door with excitement in their eyes, tails wagging wildly, knowing they’ll never spend another Thanksgiving behind a gate.
A Beautiful Turn in the Story for Papa and Kylie
Just when it seemed like the holidays would bring another year of disappointment, the shelter finally received the kind of news they dream about.
Papa, the loyal boy who spent more than a year waiting for someone to notice him, was the first to get his miracle. A family walked in with open hearts and saw the sweetness that volunteers had cherished for so long. They didn’t focus on his quirks or the special needs that made others walk past his kennel.
They simply saw a wonderful dog who deserved a chance.
The staff cried happy tears as Papa trotted out of the building, tail held high, stepping into the life he had been waiting for.
His new family promised him soft beds, warm evenings, and love that would never leave him behind. That moment lifted everyone’s spirits and reminded them that long waits can still lead to the most beautiful endings.
A short while later, another blessing arrived — and this time it was for Kylie.
After nearly four years in the shelter system and the heartbreak of being returned after her injury, she finally found a family who saw her not as a challenge but as a gift.
They understood her needs, welcomed her gentle nature, and wanted to give her the safe, steady home she had always longed for. Seeing Kylie step out the door with her new people was almost overwhelming for the staff who had held her through every setback.
For the first time in years, Kylie walked into a future filled with safety, comfort, and the promise that she would never again face a holiday alone.