National Dog Day
National Dog Day is a yearly celebration dedicated to amazing canines across the nation. Founded by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige, National Dog Day is observed every 26th of August and is meant to acknowledge the importance of man’s best friend and raise awareness about the reality dogs everywhere are experiencing behind closed doors.
This National Dog Day, let’s all work together to stop breed banning, animal abuse, and the buying of dogs from unreputable pet stores supplied by puppy mills or backyard breeders. Lots of wonderful dogs are stuck in shelters, desperately waiting for someone to come along and give them a chance. It’s heartbreaking to think about how many of them are getting euthanized each year just because not enough people are choosing to open their homes to a rescue. Today, let’s do our best to change that and celebrate National Dog Day by being the voice for dogs everywhere.
How do we do that, you ask? We can start by understanding the real meaning of the word D-O-G.
D for Devotion
If there’s an animal deserving of a trophy for devotion, it’s definitely dogs. They’re not called man’s best friend for nothing. Dogs are considered the best companion for man because of their unwavering devotion and loyalty to their humans. They’re always ready to serve and make their humans happy, sometimes even to the point of sacrificing their own lives. We’ve seen it all before. Dogs fearlessly jumping in the line of fire or running into a burning building to save their owners, sometimes even people they don’t know!
In today’s society, dogs are happily working alongside humans to better the community. Family dogs, therapy dogs, police dogs, guide dogs—they all make our lives better and the world a lot safer. They’ve saved countless human lives, and for that, we have no reason not to do the same for them.
O for Overflowing Love
It’s no secret that dogs are just absolute lovebugs! We’re pretty sure everyone can attest to that. It’s absolutely crazy how much love these creatures have inside of them. They can experience all the beating in the world, and still, have love to give!
Animal rescue videos are excellent proof of how loving and forgiving dogs are. Since these videos are quite famous on the internet, we’re sure you’ve watched a couple. They capture just how cruel people can be with dogs, but even then, dogs choose to forgive, move on, and continue to love humankind.
Because of that, we encourage you to drop by your local animal shelter this National Dog Day and adopt a rescue! If you can’t, then you can always volunteer, or better yet, foster! You can even ask to take some of the dogs there out for a walk or a car ride and show them a good time. You can also work with the shelter and help find loving families for the rescue dogs.
If you already have canine family members, then shower them with extra love this National Dog Day! Buy them a new toy, take them to a doggie restaurant, or treat them to a spa day in a pet-friendly resort. Today, it’s all about them!
G for Gratitude
Dogs, especially rescues, never stop being grateful! They may not be able to say it through actual comprehensive words—you know, sometimes they try—but they totally make up for through their actions. You’ll see it in the way they wag their tails the moment you get home, the way they snuggle up to you and lick your face when you’re chilling on the sofa, and even in the way they try to tackle you to the ground out of sheer excitement when you come back from a week-long vacation.
Dogs know when they’re loved, and they never take it for granted. They bring unimaginable joy to our lives, and today is the perfect day for us to start giving back to them.
Post a photo of your dog on social media and use your caption to raise awareness about animal abuse and encourage people looking to get a canine companion to open their hearts to a rescue dog this National Dog Day. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #NationalDogDay!
How do you plan on celebrating National Dog Day? Let us know in the comments!
