Tomorrow, August 26th, is National Dog Day, a day to remember those who are in shelters/rescues looking for homes. There are simply far too many great dogs waiting for someone to give them a second chance. Rescue dogs make the best pets!
My best bud, Brody, ‘adopted me’ over two years when a front leg had to be amputated due to serious abuse inflicted upon him at the hands of the man who previously had him. Brody was a young pup who endured unthinkable cruelty but now is my Ambassador to illustrate how rescued dogs are the most wonderful companions!
Brody – My Ambassador to showcase how wonderful rescue pets are! photo credit-Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein
Nearly 4 million pets enter shelters each year and sadly, roughly 50% of them never leave. When looking for a dog to adopt, make sure you do your research to find a dog that will fit your lifestyle and personality.
While we celebrate our own beloved dogs, let’s not forget and always remember all of the dogs waiting anxiously in shelters for a new home. What can we do to celebrate dogs?
1.) Make this day special for your dog by spending time with him/her. Take him for a walk. Walk along a beach. Play ball! Snuggle up with your dog and watch a movie. Give your pooch a massage. Massages can help to calm your dog. Take your dog to a park. Treat your dog by having him as your guest at a restaurant that permits canines. More dining places are allowing this across the nation and Canada. If your dog enjoys swimming, let him do the doggie paddle in a safe body of water. A life vest is a must for Brody and is a good idea for all dogs. Buy your dog a new toy! Do something that you know your dog loves to do. Show him how much you love and appreciate him. There are endless possibilities to celebrate your own dog. You know your dog best. Whatever you do, do it with love!
2.) For the millions of dogs in shelters across the nation, there are a multitude of actions in which you can participate to help them. The number one action you can take is to adopt your next dog from a shelter or rescue! What better way to save a life than to give a new life. If that’s not possible, you can help your local shelter in a variety of ways.
Donating items that a shelter needs will be extremely beneficial. Check out their websites or call them to find out what their current needs are. Hold a donation drive among your friends and/or colleagues. Shelters and rescues are always in need of money. It’s expensive to take care of the numerous animals they have. Feeding and medical costs add up quickly for a shelter that normally has a shoestring budget. Most depend on private donations. Not all shelters are equal.
Donate your time and volunteer to walk a dog or spend time with a cat. Volunteers are always needed. People of varying skill levels can be utilized by a shelter. If you excel at taking photos, your skills can be used to showcase pets in a better light for their website. If you’re good at fundraising, a shelter would be grateful to use your services. Think about the unique skills you can offer to a shelter or rescue. Contact them to find out how those skills can be best utilized.
Let’s celebrate all dogs on this National Day honoring them and all year through! They are man’s and woman’s best friend! There are no other creatures like them. Adopt and save a life!
What will you do to celebrate National Dog Day?
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer and is an unabashed animal advocate. Her love for animals is what drives her to promote awareness of the many issues facing animals. She hosts the show, ” A Close-Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.” She adores her tripawd, Brody. If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com. Like https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com for all the tv shows, articles, and podcasts you may have missed!
Don’t give to the ASPCA HSUS BEST FRIENDS. Most of their donations go toward administrative costs and not to the animals. I always tell friends to give to their local shelter or a grassroots group who hasn’t been bought by corporations. The animal business is big business. I wish people would wake up to the truth about them.
I took my dog Bailey for a hike and gave him his favorite treat. We played with his favorite toys. We had a blast!
Glad you and Bailey had fun! Awesome!
No special day required. Every day is dog day! Dogs should be treated good all the time.
I agree that every day should be special for our four-legged friends! They are the best!
I couldn’t agree more! Dogs are my life and they make every day special for me. It’s heartbreaking knowing so many are stuck in shelters not knowing if they will find a home or not. People need to be more responsible with their pets. I think people should almost have to take a competency test to see if they would be responsible “parents”. Don’t you think?
Yes, it is heartbreaking for all the animals stuck in shelters waiting to be adopted. That’s why spaying and neutering is so important. We must also take full responsibility for our pets once we adopt them. If you can’t see yourself having a pet for a lifetime, adopting a pet is not the right fit for you.
Thanks! Good point!
What about the dogs in Texas right now? Poor babies waiting to be rescued along with their families because of the severe flooding? God bless all the creatures there. :'(
It is very sad what is happening in Texas right now for people and their pets. Many rescue groups and local shelters are working to retrieve any pet left behind. The entire situation is very sad and reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina when many states in the south were flooded. Many people lost their lives as well as pets. Many pets weren’t reclaimed since people couldn’t go back home. At least, more places are allowing people to take their pets with them this time!
Thanks!
I love my Snickers. He is the best thing to ever happen to my life. He makes me smile when I’m down. He offers me unconditional love which is more than I can say about people I know. He’s smarter than most people I know. 🙂 I love Snickers with all my heart!
Glad Snickers has you in his life! Always great to hear when people love their pets so much like you!
Thanks!
If only shelters and rescues wouldn’t be so damn picky and stubborn when someone wants to adopt. Some make it next to impossible to adopt. Take a look the workers and they have the right to deny you. How many of them would be denied? Some shelter people are known to be hoarders and treat animals badly and they can turn you away. They force people to look elsewhere and buy puppies and dogs.
Always, always research shelters and rescues before adopting. They are not created equal! Some are good and some are bad. Some claim to be rescues but are actually hoarders. Be careful on social media since many continually ask for money. Yes, they do money to take care of animals but some are disguised as rescues. Always research.
Thanks!
How awful for Brody. Why are people so cruel toward animals? That man should lose a leg for what he did. Brody is very cute!
What happened to Brody was cruel but I won’t waste energy on the man who abused him. It won’t change anything. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve felt angry and don’t understand why anyone could hurt their own dog and allow them to suffer with a broken leg and never do anything about it. Because of nothing being done, Brody had to lose his leg. He is a very happy pup and nothing stops him despite being a ttripawd!
Thank you for your comment!