Hey, fellow pet lovers!
Today’s post is all about National Dog Day which took place yesterday and is celebrated annually on the 26th of August. In this short and simple post, I want to talk a little more about what this canine caring day is all about and various important goals associated with it.
Let’s jump straight into today’s post!
National Dog Day, August 26th
National Dog Day is a special day that is celebrated annually on the 26th of August and just like many of the other national pet days that we’ve talked about on epoch.pet, this day was founded by Pet & Family Lifestyle expert Colleen Paige who we’ve spoken about a fair few times in previous posts. As well as National Dog Day Colleen is also responsible for creating many other national pet days that all help us to celebrate the worlds unconditional love for our canine and feline companions, as well as horses and various other wildlife. Below you can see a list of the other national pet days Colleen has founded over the years.
- National Horse Protection Day, 1st March
- National Pet Day, 11th April
- National Mutt Day, July 31st & 2nd December
- National Dog Day, August 26th
- National Wildlife Day, 4th September
- National Walk Your Dog Week, 2nd October
- National Black Dog Day, 15th October
- National Cat Day, 29th October
As you can see, Colleen has created a variety of national days to help, pet lovers and owners worldwide celebrate the countless benefits that our companion animals provide. To learn more about these special days then head over to Colleen’s website. Also, some of you may remember one of my previous posts from last year which was all about National Walk Your Dog Week another of Colleen’s wonderful days, but if you haven’t read it yet then check it out after reading today’s post.
Aims of National Dog Day
There are various aims that National Dog Day hopes to promote each year, the main objective of this day though is to raise awareness to the general public about the many lonely dogs in shelters worldwide who are searching for their forever loving homes. Colleen chooses August 26th to be the date of National Dog Day for one exceptional reason, that being that this specific date was when her family adopted their first-ever canine companion Sheltie when she was just ten years old.
Writing today’s post brought back lovely memories of my first ever dog. I was only a tiny baby, about six weeks old when my older brother wanted a canine companion after the previous family pooch went missing. Too young to remember anything my older brothers, along with our parents, went to the local kennels and came back with a scruffy looking dog who we named Simba. From a young age, I’ve always loved pets just like Colleen, and I couldn’t imagine life without a canine companion by my side. Unfortunately, I don’t have many photos of Simba, but I did find one on my old phone that you can see below. Excuse the terrible image quality, but I wasn’t aware I’d have a pet wellness and nutrition blog back then.
Simba was the most loving, funny and affectionate pooch, and he never failed to make me laugh. One of the funniest things he did which may sound a bit disgusting to some, was whenever he had gas he would be so confused as to where it came from and once expelled he would shoot across the room looking around like what just happened? For any innocent bystanders that had to deal with the awful smell due to him, unfortunately, being fed a highly-processed commercial diet, it made the situation a little more bearable. Simba was my childhood pet, the pooch who played out in the sun with me when I was just a tiny toddler, gave me countless cuddles and he was the dog that paved the foundation for my pet obsessed future. Without this little furry friend, I’m not too sure I would have wanted dogs in my life, and for that alone, I’m forever grateful!
Unforently, Simba passed away when I was sixteen. He was getting older and was in poor health, almost entirely blind, and he had also started having seizures. One night I came home to be told that Simba had passed away, you can imagine the shared heartache between family members. However, I was relieved he was no longer suffering, and I’m incredibly happy that he was my first ever canine companion. Rescuing a pet from a shelter is a beautiful thing to do. If you’re considering bringing a canine friend into your life, then please keep this fantastic deed on the table, as you may just find your next scruffy Simba waiting for their forever loving home.
Adopt don’t shop!
The main aim of National Dog Day is to promote adoption and raise awarenesses about the many canines who need to be adopted from the countless shelters worldwide. This is a reoccurring aim of Colleen’s national pet days and is something more potential pet owners need to consider doing. Millions of innocent pets get killed each year because there simply aren’t enough homes for them out there, yet people still continue to purchase new pups without having a single thought about these poor pooches. I talk more about the Adopt don’t shop campaign in one of my previous post about another of Colleen’s national pet days, National Puppy Day.
Recognise how many dogs need to be rescued!
As mentioned above, the headline aim is to help inform the general public worldwide about the many helpless dogs looking for their forever homes. Colleen hopes that potential pooch owners will consider adopting a pet on this special day rather than going straight to a breeder or pet store for a new puppy. By sharing her story and increasing the awareness of National Dog Day she is able to change the lives of many four-legged friends for the better.
Acknowledge family dogs, service dogs and assistance dogs worldwide.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post called International Assistance Dog Week which talked all about the amazing benefits that assistance dogs provide their owners with. Another aim of National Dog Day is to acknowledge family dogs as well as service dogs such as military dogs, law enforcement dogs, personal protection dogs and an array of assistance dogs. National dog day celebrates both mixed and pure breed dogs as well as every dog on the planet. This is a day to definitely celebrate if you’re a serious dog lover like myself as well as Colleen who founded National Dog Day back in 2004.
I hope you all liked today’s short and simple post about National Dog Day; I’m a severe dog lover if you haven’t guessed already and loved writing about this canine caring day. If you enjoyed today’s post, then let me know by hitting that button or giving it a share so other pet lovers can learn about epoch.pet and our diverse range of content. I’ve taken the time this week to plan out the rest of this year’s posts, and I have some interesting ones heading your way soon, so make sure you hit that follow button never to miss a post.
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