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National Rescue Dog Day Is May 20th

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National Rescue Dog Day is celebrated on May 20th. It is observed to bring awareness to all the amazing dogs in shelters who are looking for their forever homes all over the country.

Lisa Wiehebrink, author and Executive Director of Tails That Teach, founded the day in 2018. Her organization teaches children how to properly treat animals. 

So how can you celebrate National Rescue Dog Day? According to https://www.nationalrescuedogday.com, here are some ideas:

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

Share Photos. Post photos of your rescue dog on social media by using #nationalrescuedogday.  Add a comment about why your rescue dog is special. You may encourage someone to adopt.

Love. Give your rescue a long walk, tasty treat or toys, or any other item that they adore.

Adopt. If you are thinking about bringing a pet into your family, adopt through a shelter or rescue group. 

Foster. If you have space and the time to keep a rescue in your home for a period of time, consider fostering. It helps the dog decompress in a home setting and gives them an opportunity to improve their socialization skills. Some pets need quiet spaces to heal from medical concerns before they can be adopteed.

Shelter. Donate items to your local shelter.

Volunteer. Walk dogs at your local shelter and/or work on their socialization skills.

Spay. Spay or neuter your pets.

Education. Teach children how to be responsible and give love to animals in their orbit.

Let’s Celebrate Your Mutt on National Mutt Day

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For those of us with mix breed dogs in our lives, we have two days to celebrate them! The first date is July 31st and the second day of celebration comes on December 2nd. What, you may be asking, is National Mutt Day?

According to nationalmuttday.com, this holiday, also known as National Mixed Breed Dog Day, was created by Colleen Paige in 2005. Paige is a celebrity pet and family lifestyle expert. National Mutt Day allows individuals to celebrate and save mixed breed dogs. 

The website states that the day’s mission is to “educate the public about the sea of mixed breed dogs that desperately await new homes and to celebrate the amazing characteristics that the mix of breeds creates in each individual dog”.

If you are thinking about adding a new pooch to the family, consider heading out to the shelter on National Mutt Day to find your new floofin!  If you can’t adopt a mixed breed friend on July 31st or December 2nd, remember that shelters are open to donations or even volunteer assistance. You can walk dogs, donate food, or supplies. Rescue groups can also use foster assistance or dog beds or toys or other supplies. 

Want To Put Your Craft Skills To Good Use?

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Chances are you’ve heard the adage, “Put your money where your mouth is.” And most of us have a cause that we donate to on an annual basis. But, sometimes, you just want to do something tangible.
 
I have good news for you. Since 2012, July 21st has been the designated holiday known as “Craft For Your Local Shelters” day. This means that you can pick a project (or more) to assist your local shelters by crafting something useful.
 
Erika Lindquist is responsible for the holiday. She came up with the idea after adopting her rescue dog. According to an article on the iheartdog.com website, she wanted to offer an alternative to those with some financial challenges.
 
“If someone is unable to help their shelter financially, they can help by making simple, yet meaningful, items for the animals,” she said. If you want more information on her and her project, she has a website called SewDoggieStyle that you can visit by clicking here.
 

IDEAS

There are some great ideas that you can read up on, but I’ll highlight a few that look simple enough that even something without a ton of crafting talent can create:
  • Adopt Me Bandanas. These can be made with scraps of fabric and either painting, screen printing or embroidering “adopt me” on them.
  • Fleece Tugs. Gather up your fleece, cut into strips and then simply braid them together.
  • Rectangle Dog Bed. This involves a pillow, some fabric and basic sewing. I’ll leave the instructions to the experts. Click here for the 411.
There are lots of ways to help your local shelter. If you aren’t up for crafting, but still want to get involved, shelter can always use volunteers. Share any pictures with us of craft items you create for your local shelter on our social media sites.