Today is National Dog Day! Today is the day to celebrate your canine companion, buy those Frosty Paws with peanut butter flavor, celebrate your hound’s birthday, or rescue a canine American from a shelter.
National Dog Day is a relatively new holiday. The Bolivar Herald reports that it was created in 2006 by Colleen Paige, a philanthropist with a strong affection for those tail wagging fuzz balls. Her goal is simple: help a dog; as a matter of fact, help 10,026 dogs! Great toys for national dog day at DoggieToys.Deals
Why 10,026? Ms. Paige sees no reason that there could not be 10,000 dog adoptions today. And hey, it’s the 26th! So we add another 26. Lest you think that National Dog Day is a nice idea and move on to the next article, here are some sobering facts and figures that might make you put down that breakfast muffin and listen up.
Santa Cruz, CA County Puppy Mill
Alleged operators of a puppy mill stand accused of keeping dogs in dismal circumstances, having a large number of dead canines on the premises, and even having severed dog heads hanging in trees.
For National Dog Day, resolve to no longer buy dogs from puppy mill supplied pet stores but instead only get them from a shelter
El Paso County, CO Dog Neglect
A dog owner is cited for animal cruelty for allowing a Husky to die of parvovirus instead of providing comfort, veterinary care, and ultimately prevention. A call from a concerned neighbor alerted authorities to the condition of the animal. At the same time, the Humane Society emergency line did not respond to the final call of the neighbor.
In honor of National Dog Day, decide to make that overdue call to the vet to get your canine companion in for its shots and annual checkup. Then make the call to the volunteer hotline for the Humane Society in your area and sign up for a volunteer assignment. Even if you only spend an hour a week helping out, you will have made a huge difference in the lives of some animals.
Hillsborough County, FL Dog Neglect and Cruelty
A nine year young Labrador Retriever was left to die an agonizing death because its owner did not follow up on veterinary visit. The owner stated he could not afford the vet bill and had already missed one truck payment but could not miss another.
Observe National Dog Day by helping out friends, family members, neighbors, and anyone else you might know who has a dog that seems to need medical care. Find low cost vet clinics and spring for a dog being neutered or having its teeth cleaned. Conversely, if you are a dog owner, buy that pet health insurance policy that ensures that your hound will be taken care of, even if he gets into a serious accident.
Sources:
http://www.bolivarmonews.com/articles/2008/08/22/news/doc48addc59362a2260079736.txt
http://www.colleenpaige.com/
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/14226/CA/US/
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/14157/CO/US/
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/14257/FL/US/