Celebrate National Dog Day!
If you think that August 26th this year is just going to be another Sunday, think again. It’s National Dog Day!
Most dog owners would say that every day is national dog day, but August 26th is the day that we have an official
excuse to pamper our favorite pooches.
National Dog Day was founded in 2004 with the goal of shining a spotlight on the millions of dogs that have no
forever homes and are in need of adoption. The founder of National Dog Day chose August 26th because that was the
day, at the age of 10, that her family adopted their first shelter dog.
The holiday is intended to celebrate dogs of all breeds, ages and types. The folks behind National Dog Day want to
bring year-round attention to the fact that there many thousands of wonderful dogs that need homes. Too many animals
are in abusive situations or stuck in shelters. National Dog Day celebrates not only family pets, but those of our
four legged buddies who work in such fields as fire and law enforcement, service/therapy dogs, bomb sniffers and
other noble occupations. Did you know that they can even train dogs today to treat oncoming seizures and people
suffering from cancer? In short, dogs are truly amazing.
National Dog Day never discourages people from adopting pure breed dogs, but the founders always like to emphasize
how wonderful good old fashioned mutts are too! In addition, the holiday serves to put focus on discouraging
people from buying dogs from pet stores that are supplied from puppy mills and amateur (back yard) breeders.
Millions of dogs are do not meet a happy ending each year because there are just too many of them that go unwanted.
If you adopt a pet on National Dog Day, you will not only have played a huge part in reversing this terrible trend,
but you can then officially consider that date to be your dog’s birthday. This status allows you to join in
the fun of celebrating with millions of other people. Each year, there are many events and activities that you and
your birthday pooch can celebrate together.
Ideas for a Happy National Dog Day
Here are a bunch of ways that you can ring in this year’s National Dog Day in style.
-
Adopt a Dog From a Shelter – This of course would be the best way to celebrate
this special day.
-
Party Like It’s 1999 – Invite all your friends’ dogs over (the
friends can come too) and have a massive pooch party!
-
Feed a Starving Artist – Have a portrait commissioned of your dog in a regal
pose and setting. Upon completion, you will be able to exclaim "She now belongs to the
ages".
-
• Resort Time – Some locals actually have dog spas and resorts, where your pooch
will be treated like the king or queen they already think they are.
-
Life is a Beach – Dogs love nothing more than to run around in the sand and
water.
For anyone who has ever owned a dog, we all know that they are truly special animals. Dogs have such a special
capacity for love and loyalty, you can’t help but let them capture your heart. Let us never forget that
while there are many dogs that have loving, forever homes, there are too many who do not. Let us all use August
26th this year as not only a special day to celebrate the dogs we love, but recommit ourselves to doing all we
can to help those still in need.