Today is International Dog Day: Why do we celebrate this day?

Created to unite the public in celebrating the various breeds of dogs, International Dog Day is celebrated on August 26 with an aim to highlight the number of animals that need to be rescued annually. It also helps to motivate the public to adopt a dog. On this day, we celebrate the bond between man and his canine companions. Take time to thank them for their unconditional love and support of the shelters that rescue animals around the world.

Today is International Dog Day [Courtesy: Lum3n]

This day was created to celebrate all breeds of dogs, to encourage the adoption of dogs instead of buying one. It also helps to raise awareness for these animals and the rescue shelters that are working selflessly. It was started as National Dog Day in 2004 by Colleen Paige, a pet and animal rescue advocate. She adopted her first dog, Sheltie, on the day of its adoption. She chose to observe this day on 26 August, asking people to adopt a dog and to acknowledge the number of canines that need to be rescued all around the world.

Let us look at some amazing stories of our brave and amazing friends. This story begins with Killian, a Labrador Retriever that saved a child from abuse. It was revealed that the child’s babysitter, Alexis Khan was an abuser. Her behaviour would have escalated into a full-fledged abuse situation if their dog, Killian, didn't warn them. This animal's ability to detect when something is wrong has revealed a lot about our society. An even more amazing story is about a dog named Toby. When her owner had a hard time getting rid of an apple stuck in his throat. Her dog, who was 2 years old at the time, leapt up and down on her stomach until she was able to force the apple out of her mouth.

On this day, to show our love to our four-legged friends we can celebrate International Dog Day by donating to shelter homes for dogs. You can also volunteer with organizations that work towards the cause of dogs.

Author

Swagata Chakraborty