Celebrate National Pet Day Today

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

Today is National Pet Day. If you’re a pet lover, chances are every day in your home is National Pet Day, but today is a day set aside to raise awareness of pets in need of loving home, to raise awareness of how one person truly can make a difference in the lives of animals in need, and what you can do today, right now, to join in. The Animal Miracle Network is a sponsor of this pet-loving day.

According to the National Awareness Day website National Pet Day is a day to “celebrate the joy that our lovely furry friends bring into our lives!” There is an underlying message behind today and that is that there are, “16000 pets dying in US shelters on a daily basis. That adds up to 667 animals an hour!”

Take time today and ponder what you spend on a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, that extra pair of shoes or purse (I am guilty of purse-buying), power tools, etc. Imagine if you took your spare change and donated it weekly to a local shelter. What if you made a concerted effort to gather up unwanted items from your home and donated them to a shelter. Ask your local shelter what kind of donations they need. Many need soft blankets or towels, pet-friendly cleaning supplies, paper towels, food, treats.

The National Awareness Days site posits, “Just think – if one million people in America donated $1 dollar a month, that’s 12 million dollars raised altogether! Such little effort, and with maximum results!”

What can you do on National Pet Day to make a difference? We’d love to hear your ideas and if you make a donation or volunteer at a shelter we’d love to see photos!