This week marks the 92nd anniversary of National Dog Week, which takes place during the last full week of September. This year's theme, “Keep Calm and Dog Week On" reminds us in this time of uncertainty to celebrate and reward our poochy partners for providing encouragement and stability to their owners through their unconditional love. National Dog Week was founded by a group of dog owners and sportsmen dedicated to a broad nationwide educational campaign for better dog care.
There are seemingly endless ways for dog owners to celebrate their furry family members: it could be something as simple as spending a few extra minutes on your daily walk or something complex as hosting a socially distant dog event that brings together all the dogs in your neighborhood. Could you imagine trying to keep each dog in their individual circles?? :-) You can take your dog to the local pet store and allow them to pick out a new treat or toy, fill their bowl with your dinner leftovers (given that the meal is safe for dogs to consume), feed them an extra treat at snack time or even just hug them a little longer and tighter. But if you really want to reward them with the best - I would suggest an celebratory serving of the Chicken Choize from Sophie's Choize -- now how could that be bad???
Non-dog owners can donate supplies –– whether it be food, toys or medicine –– to local shelters, look into paying an adoption fee or inquire about possible veterinarian expenses for vaccinations, infections, and spaying and neutering. However, getting into the swing of this week doesn't necessarily have to cost you money: you can volunteer a couple nights at your local shelter and assist with cleaning cages, playing with the dogs or taking them for a walk. You can buy a toy or a biscuit for your friend's dog and, of course, there’s always the option of adopting one yourself.
It goes without saying that you shouldn't only do nice things for dogs once a year because the calendar, news and social media says you should!! Shelters and rescues are always in need of supplies, volunteers and of course cold hard cash.... while furry family members deserve to be loved unequivocally all year. Remember that you are your dog's world; it's so important to make sure that they're taken care of every day...just like they do you.