Celebrating Man & Woman’s Best Friend

Did you know that it’s National Dog Week?

2012 marks the 84th anniversary of this holiday. National Dog Week was founded by Captain William Judy, a dog judge and former publisher of Dog World Magazine.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge dog lover. I welcome any excuse to recognize all the wonderful canines out there who brighten the days of so many people like myself. Harley’s nuttiness makes me laugh every single day. But National Dog Week is more than that. The message it’s meant to convey is near and dear to my heart…

One main reason that National Dog Week was created was to raise awareness of what it means to be a well informed, responsible pet owner. This includes things like making sure your pet is up-to-date with their shots at the vet and being able to regularly exercise your dog.

As a volunteer at the Humane Society, I know all too well about people who mistreat their dogs. Just last week I came home from volunteering thinking about one dog in particular – an extremely sweet girl whose ears had been cut off and was found tied to the side of a building soon after giving birth. Quite frankly, I want to punch the person who did that in the face. I can’t even fathom treating a dog poorly, and unfortunately this isn’t a rare occurrence. This brings up another focus for National Dog Week: finding a good home for every dog. I think that a lot of people don’t realize what a commitment it is to have a dog, especially a puppy, and they get aggravated once they figure it out. This leads to some of the neglect dogs endure, whether intentional or not. But the fact is, it’s better to relinquish your dog if you can’t care for him/her properly. The animal lovers who work at shelters around the country will give stray dogs the best lives they can given the circumstances. Dogs are amazing creatures who deserve to be well-cared for, simple as that.

With that being said, I think National Dog Week honors not only all the great dogs out there, but all the people who take awesome care of them and allow their dogs to live their best lives. In celebration of this week, I say that all you canine owners should spoil your dogs a bit (as I know I will!). Get them a new treat or toy, take them to the park, get them groomed, or just give them extra love. After all, they are human’s best friend!

Quote of the week: ”If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” – Will Rogers