1 min 25 sec
The Thanksgiving PSA
Share it with the family members who are coming, before they arrive.
Part of the free SAFE program
Keeping dogs and kids safe at Thanksgiving
Decorations, a house full of people your dog has never met, and a table loaded with food that ranges from unhealthy to genuinely toxic. Thanksgiving can be one of the most stressful days of the year for a dog — and it does not have to be.
4.5Mpeople bitten by dogs in the US every year
Halfof all dog-related injuries involve children
2.8Mdogs entering US shelters and rescues each year
320Kof those dogs are euthanized
Bite figures: American Veterinary Medical Association. Shelter figures: ASPCA, 2025 data from Shelter Animals Count.
Keep your dog calm, cool and collected on Thanksgiving.
Dog bites can be prevented
Most bites to children come from the family dog, or from a dog the child already knows — and more than half of all dog-related injuries in the US involve children. Almost all of it is preventable with a few small changes that make your dog less frightened and less crowded on Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving can be an incredibly stressful day for dogs. Decorations, unfamiliar people moving through the house, and a great deal of food — some of which is genuinely toxic to dogs. With a little extra time and care you can have a relaxed day with your dog, rather than one where they are tense, anxious, or pushed into snapping at someone.
Our Be SAFE for Thanksgiving videos can help make the day a good one for you and your dog.
Watch together
Two short videos for Thanksgiving
Both under two minutes. Watch them with your children, and send the PSA to whoever is coming over.
1 min 30 sec
Tips and tricks for Thanksgiving
What to set up before the first car pulls into the driveway.
Simple steps that make a difference
What to do to keep children and dogs safe on Thanksgiving
Keep pets indoors
A steady stream of cars and new faces is stressful for a dog. Indoors, with you, is where they can be supervised.
Post a sign on your door
If the doorbell bothers your dog, ask guests to call or text when they arrive instead of knocking.
Keep your dog away from the front door
Settle your dog in another room with a food-dispensing toy and soft music to mask the sound of arrivals.
Skip the group photos
Make sure your dog is genuinely comfortable with children and cameras before anyone huddles in for a picture.
Candles can be dangerous
A candlelit table is a real hazard around a larger dog who bumps into things.
Some foods are toxic to dogs
Thanksgiving dinner is not dog food. Keep bacon, chocolate, alcohol, onions and anything with bones away from your dog.
Keep decorations out of reach
Inside and outside — decorations get chewed, pulled down and swallowed.
With a few simple precautions, and knowing what stresses your dog out, you can make Thanksgiving an enjoyable day for the whole family.
Thanks to Cathy Reisfield of Dependable Dogs for these tips.
The rest of the year
SAFE is not just for Thanksgiving
The same four steps work on an ordinary Tuesday. The free SAFE program teaches children what to do with a dog they live with, and what to do with a dog they have never met.
The free SAFE programBoth videos, the four steps, and a free kit
of children’s eBooks, wall charts and coloring pages.
SAFE around a dog you knowYour own dog, grandma’s dog, the
dog at the sleepover — where most bites to young children happen.
SAFE around a dog you don’t knowWhat to teach a child to
do with their body when an unfamiliar dog comes toward them.
Dog body language posterThe Go / Caution / Stop signals chart,
printed for a wall where your children will actually see it.
Dog body language postcardsThe same chart as a pack of 50
double-sided postcards, for handing out.
Dog Smart card game108 cards, 27 ways
to play. Children learn to read a dog without being lectured at.
Why this matters
Take a stand against dog bites
Dog safety education for adults and children is the whole job.
Any dog can bite — whatever their age or breed, however long you have had your furry friend, however well you think you know him. Many dog bites end with a dog being surrendered to an animal shelter, and according to the ASPCA, about 2.8 million dogs entered US shelters and rescues last year. Roughly 320,000 of them were euthanized.
Help stop the growing number of dog bites, and the number of dogs left at shelters because of them. Teach yourself and your children how to behave around dogs, how to greet a dog, and how to respect a dog’s body and a dog’s space.
Get the free SAFE kit for kids
Children’s eBooks, printable wall charts and coloring pages, plus both SAFE videos. Nothing to buy — it works on Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.
