Discussing The Unofficial Birthday Of Shelter Dogs
August 1st is widely known as the unofficial birthday of shelter dogs! But you may be asking yourself, why August and why shelter dogs? According to the ASPCA, about 3.1 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters every year. Many of these dogs don’t have the proper paperwork or documentation to prove an exact date of birth. But even without exact dates, every dog deserves to have a birthday celebration. That is the main goal behind DOGust, to give every shelter dog without an official birthday a day to celebrate their birthday. This article will discuss the history of DOGust, the importance of the holiday, and how you can get involved and celebrate DOGust.
The Founding Of DOGust
The unofficial birthday of shelter dogs takes place on August 1st and is known as DOGust. This wonderful pet-themed holiday was initially created by North Shore Animal League America (the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world). The good people at N.S.A.L.A. realize and understand the importance of celebrating birthdays. So much so that they created an entire holiday based around giving shelter dogs without an official birthday a chance to celebrate. In previous years, N.S.A.L.A. has done free adoptions and other similar adoption events on August 1st as a way of promoting both the holiday of DOGust and the plight that so many shelter dogs go through everyday. With so much going on in the world, it’s easy to forget how many shelter dogs are in desperate need of a good home. Although shelter animal euthanization numbers have significantly declined over the past decade, pet overpopulation and overcrowding at animal shelters continues to be a problem across the country. Every dog deserves a good home and DOGust is another great way to remind people of this. John Stevenson, president and CEO of N.S.A.L.A., was quoted saying “Let’s get these lovable pets into homes for real birthday parties.” To learn more about N.S.A.L.A. and the wonderful work they do, check out their website at Animalleague.org.
An Important Holiday
So why have a universal birthday for shelter dogs without official birthdays? Because celebrating birthdays is a big deal! Many people take the concept of birthdays for granted, but it is in fact one of the most important days of any person (or dogs’) life. It’s a celebration that you were born, that you exist, and that you have made it another year. It’s a landmark day that helps you reflect on your previous years while simultaneously getting you excited for the years to come. Birthdays are always worth celebrating and that goes for pets as well. This especially applies to shelter dogs as they often don’t have much else to look forward to other than the hopes of being adopted and put into a good home. Being a shelter dog isn’t an easy life as there are far more shelter dogs out there than there are people who are willing to adopt one. The chances of a shelter dog being adopted aren’t always great and it can be easy to lose hope and be discouraged. That’s why it’s so important to give every shelter dog a birthday as it gives them hope and reminds them that they are loved. N.S.A.L.A. are partnered with animal shelters all across the U.S. and have made it their goal to ensure every shelter dog gets a birthday. If you’re considering adopting a shelter dog but still on the fence about it, check out our previous article entitled Adopt A Dog Month.
How You Can Get Involved
There are a variety of ways to get involved and celebrate the wonderful pet-themed holiday known as Dogust. The best way to get involved is to donate your time to a local animal shelter. Monetary donations are always good, but donating your time is practically priceless as countless animal shelters across the country are always in need of volunteers. Even just a few hours a week can make all the difference in not only an animal shelter but in a shelter animal’s life. You could very well be the reason why a dog or cat gets adopted and put into a good home. Every person can make a difference as long as you’re willing to put in the effort. Another great way to contribute to Dogust is to pamper your rescue dog that you adopted through an animal shelter. Throw them a little birthday celebration with some of their favorite treats and toys just to remind them how special they are and how much they are loved. We spoil our dogs and we firmly believe you should too! And lastly, you can always donate goods as well. If you don’t have the time or have physical limitations, you can always donate things like toys, leashes, food, and more to your local animal shelters. Every donation counts and your local animal shelters will greatly appreciate it! Whether you donate your time or doggy supplies, we encourage you to get involved with your local animal shelters and be a part of this amazing celebration of shelter dog birthdays across the world!
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