Early this morning when I opened my Facebook, I was greeted with this iPhone snap from six years ago. It was of my pup wearing a cone after his neuter surgery. Soon after perusing Facebook a bit, I learned today was National Puppy Day. Did I ever feel awful for scheduling his surgery (even though all those years ago) on National Puppy Day. Sorry, Bud.
National Puppy Day is a day not only to celebrate our pups, but also a day to help bring awareness to the terrible puppy mill situation. Millions of dogs are improperly bred for profit and mistreated along the way. If you're looking to add a puppy to your family, remember to adopt - don't shop from pet stores or backyard breeders or puppy mills. If you are looking to add a purebred puppy to your family, always do extensive research about the breeder. Contact your national breed club who may have a list of reputable breeders in your area. With the awareness rising, hopefully one day these illegal mills and backyard breeders will be shut down.
A few great ways to celebrate National Puppy Day are:
- Take your pup(s) for an extra long walk!
- Adopt a puppy! But only if your family is ready. Remember to find a great trainer to get your training off to the right start.
- Donate to a local shelter and/or rescue.
- Have a puppy party or visit a dog park and make some new friends.
In honour of National Puppy Day, I thought I'd share some photos of my two pups. They're half brother and sister, two years apart. People have a hard time telling them apart, but they really couldn't be any different personality-wise.
Here are a few of my favourites from the last few weeks:
Are you doing anything to celebrate National Puppy Day? I'd love it if you left a comment below and let me know! :)