they get to join in on the christmas eve meal but for christmas we were invited over to a friends place they are in exactly the same boat we are, single mom teenage kids, short on money, and no family for christmas so both our familys are joining togther for christmas but they are terrably allergic to animals, as is a hypoallergenic dog made the mom extremly ill as in deathly ill, imagine what would happen with 6 non hypoallergenic dogs! so the doggies just get to join in for christmas eve