If you’re a pet owner, you already know that your beloved companion deserves the world. Of course, the holidays are no exception.
Chewy Claus, Chewy’s Santa-adjacent giving program is back, allowing you to submit holiday letters to the head elf up North.
This year, the brand is “spreading more cheer than ever,” delivering gifts, donating food and supplies, and making wishes come true for pets in need.
Pets (and their paw-rents) are encouraged to submit their wishlists to Chewy Claus between now and December 20. For every letter submitted, Chewy will donate one pound of food to its nonprofit partners — up to 600,000 pounds.
While your dogs or cats may be writing Chewy Claus for a shiny new cat tree or a big bag of their favorite snacks, they can also defer their holiday gift and instead ask for an extra pound of food to be sent to pets in need.
“More often than not, when there are people who are struggling a little bit, they will feed their pets before they feed themselves,” said Lynda Marpole, a representative of the pet food donation program Care & Share, which works with nonprofits like Best Friends Animal Society to help keep pets and people together.
“The whole focus of my program is to help the people that need a little bit of extra help, so we can keep the pets and the families together,” Marpole added. “There are people whose whole emotional and mental well-being is dependent on their pet, so it’s a win/win situation” for both pets and their people.
On top of the food donations, Chewy has partnered with Best Friends to offer fee-free adoptions at participating shelters during Thanksgiving weekend: Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1.
“Chewy Claus is dedicated to spreading joy during the happiest time of the year,” said Orlena Yeung, chief brand officer at Chewy.
“When we received thousands of letters from pets asking for homes, we knew we had to help. There’s no better way to celebrate the season than by uniting pets with loving families — whether they’re first-time pet parents or welcoming a furry friend back home.”
Since the Chewy Claus program began in 2022, more than 500,000 pets have written letters. But among their wishes for tasty treats and festive toys, one item — homes for all of the pets living in shelters and rescues — continues to be the most sought-after gift.
“As we head into the winter holidays, shelters and rescue organizations across the country are filled with adoptable dogs and cats that deserve loving homes,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society.
Folks interested in adopting can find participating shelters on Chewy’s website and make a plan to adopt during the holiday weekend.
With dire overcrowding in shelters across the country, this act of goodwill and generosity can make a difference in the lives of countless animals.
“Adoption is the most important step everyone can take to save the lives of shelter pets, and free adoption initiatives like this from Chewy Claus make it that much easier for people to consider bringing home a new best friend,” Castle said.
“We can’t think of a better time of year than the holiday season to make a pet’s wish for a loving home come true.”
Header images courtesy of Chewy
