Allison's Book Bag

With almost 80 million households in the United States owning a pet as of 2015, it should come as no surprise that our calendar year is filled with holidays celebrating our animal companions. These holidays might be a little too obscure to grant anyone a day off from work, but they still might give ideas about how to have fun with or honor pets. Last year to help Lincoln Animal Ambassadors visitors keep track of those very special dates, I began posting information about them. Here are links to all of the events you might have missed in November and December.

National Cook for Your Pet Day: Cookforyourpets.com encourages pet owners to use National Cook for Your Pets Day as an opportunity to learn how to prepare homemade meals for pets. After all, when you as the owner are in charge of making the food, then you as the owner can ensure carbohydrates, additives, and preservatives are avoided. In addition, you can ensure that you pick the right amount and types of meats and vegetables to include.

Black Cat Day: At animal shelters in both the United States and Europe, black cats and kittens are often overlooked. In 2013, the Huffington Post ran an online article that announced, “black cats are less than half as likely to be adopted as gray cats”. That claim was backed up with research from Gallup, Petfinder, and The Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. An infographic that represented adoption percentages for eleven different cat colors placed black cats second to last. (In case you’re curious, brown was last.) Cats Protection, an animal charity in the United Kingdom, reports similar results. According to their research, on average, it takes 13 per cent longer for black cats to find a new home compared to others.

National Horse Day: There is a unique relationship between humans and horses that go back potentially 6,000 years. Our relationship has changed our manner of transport, farming, warfare, and art. During the industrial revolution horses were numerous and were depended upon by many people for their strength and dependability. They were the backs upon which our modern world was founded. Of course, technology relegated horses unnecessary and they became a luxury once more. Yes, financially horses may be a luxury. But what they teach us is priceless.

Missing from my roundup for November are: ASPCA’s Adopt a Senior Pet Month, National Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and National Pet Diabetes Month.

Missing from my roundup for December are: USDA’s Bird Health Awareness Week, National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, and Visit the Zoo Day. You can read articles of mine about shelters at My Fishing Trip With Nebraska’s Shelters and Rescues and My Fishing Trip with Midwest Groups and about zoos at Interview with a Zoo Keeper.

To read more, check out Pet Calendar Dates. There you’ll find details not only about the above, but about pet-related dates that fall throughout the rest of the year.

With almost 80 million households in the United States owning a pet as of 2015, it should come as no surprise that our calendar year is filled with holidays celebrating our animal companions. These holidays might be a little too obscure to grant anyone a day off from work, but they still might give ideas about how to have fun with or honor pets. Last year to help Lincoln Animal Ambassadors visitors keep track of those very special dates, I began posting information about them. Here are links to all of the events you might have missed in October.

Pet Obesity Day: You may be aware that almost 70% of adult Americans are overweight, but you may not know that an estimated 54% of dogs and 58% of cats in the United States also have a weight issue. Pet Obesity Awareness Day, celebrated on the second Wednesday of October, brings awareness to this health issue and promotes more balanced diets and active lifestyles for our pets.

Feral Cat Day: A pet calendar date dear to my heart is National Feral Cat Day. Celebrated on October 16, the goal is to raise awareness of community cats and to promote Trap Neuter Release (TNR) as the best method for stabilizing cat populations. Alley Cat Allies initiated this day on 2001 on the group’s 10th anniversary.

In 2017, this day was renamed Global Cat Day: Just in time for Global Cat Day (previously known as Feral Cat Day) on October 16, I’d like to present you with a tale of two cats. The first tale is about Gypsy, an eight-week-old kitten, whose mother brought her to the right place. Little Mama brought her kitten to the home of Donna Kavanagh and Ron Stow, who both knew that Gypsy would have a better life with them.

National Pit Bull Awareness Day: As reports continue to air of dog attacks attributed to pit bulls (even when the breed of the attacker has not been proven), there is no better time to honor National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD). Now more now than ever, we need to educate the public about faulty stereotypes and bring positive attention to the pit bull.

National Cat Day: Cat lovers of the world, unite! National Cat Day, held annually on October 29, was created in 2005 to pay tribute to our wonderful feline companions. It’s also intended to draw attention to the plight of over 2 million homeless cats that are euthanized every year. Shortly after Colleen Paige created National Cat Day, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals embraced it for the above reasons and to highlight also the growing problem of and possible solutions to feral cat colonies.

Missing from my roundup are: ASPCA’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, National Service Dog Month, National Animal Safety and Protection Month, World Animal Day, National Walk Your Dog Week, National Veterinary Technician Week, and Reptile Awareness Day

To read more, check out Pet Calendar Dates. There you’ll find details not only about the above, but about pet-related dates that fall throughout the rest of the year.

With almost 80 million households in the United States owning a pet as of 2015, it should come as no surprise that our calendar year is filled with holidays celebrating our animal companions. These holidays might be a little too obscure to grant anyone a day off from work, but they still might give ideas about how to have fun with or honor pets. Last year to help Lincoln Animal Ambassadors visitors keep track of those very special dates, I began posting information about them. Here are links to all of the events you might have missed in September.

National Pet Memorial Day: Throughout history, pets have been loyal companions. In recent times, pets have also come to be viewed as friends, family members, and even “kids”. National Pet Memorial Day offers an opportunity for pet owners to honor beloved pets who are gone but never forgotten. Celebrated on the second Sunday in September, this special event was established by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC).

Puppy Mill Awareness Day: The goal behind Puppy Mill Awareness Day is to draw attention to the poor conditions found at many commercial breeding facilities: overcrowded kennels, inadequate supply of clean water and healthy food, and the lack of veterinarian care. On the Puppy Mill Awareness Day site, you can find a list of ways to help animals in this condition.

Responsible Dog Ownership: Observed annually on the third Saturday in September, Responsible Dog Ownership Day encourages owners to make a promise of loyalty to their pet. As part of doing so, owners should educate themselves about pet care. They should know how to handle the size, temperament, and energy level of their pet. They should also know how to provide for their pet’s general well-being and for their pet’s medical care. Pets bring many benefits to our lives but also depend on people for their care. This makes us responsible for them.

Dogs in Politics: The most unusual origin of a September calendar date is that of Dogs in Politics. On September 23, 1952, vice president candidate Richard Nixon gave a televised and radio-broadcast speech to refute charges that he had used campaign funds for personal use. In what’s known as the “Checkers Speech,” Nixon stated that he intended to keep one gift, a donation that had been sent to his family as a personal gift: a black-and-white dog that had been named Checkers by the Nixon children, thus giving the speech its popular name.

World Rabies Day: World Rabies Day? Who wants to celebrate rabies? Well, some ‘holidays’ are about awareness rather than celebration. Although only a few people die annually in the United States of rabies, there were more than 6,000 reported case of animal rabies in 2014. Moreover, rabies kills over 55,000 people worldwide each year.

Missing from my roundup is: Deaf Dog Awareness Week and Remember Me Thursday.

To read more, check out Pet Calendar Dates. There you’ll find details not only about the above, but about pet-related dates that fall throughout the rest of the year.

With almost 80 million households in the United States owning a pet as of 2015, it should come as no surprise that our calendar year is filled with holidays celebrating our animal companions. These holidays might be a little too obscure to grant anyone a day off from work, but they still might give ideas about how to have fun with or honor pets. Last year to help Lincoln Animal Ambassadors visitors keep track of those very special dates, I began posting information about them. Here are links to all of the events you might have missed in August.

National Mutt Day: The need for mutt adopters is so great that, according to DogTime, two days have been set aside to “raise awareness about the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters, and to remind potential pet parents that it’s the personality and not the pedigree that truly matters”. The goal of this biannual event, observed on July 31 and December 1, is to get 10,000 shelter mutts into the loving forever homes.

Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs: Many dogs who wind up in shelters can’t be registered for official birthdays. Shelter workers might be able to estimate their age, but they can never know for sure. When these dogs of unknown origins finally find their forever homes, their family assigns them a random date–such as the adoption day itself–as a birthday. To rectify this sad situation, The North Shore Animal League America declared August 1 as Dogust or the universal birthday for all shelter animals whose birthdays are unknown.

National Check the Chip Day: No matter how careful we are, sometimes our pets get lost. And because they can’t tell people their address, the easiest way to get them back is to make sure they have ID. Tags are the traditional way to let people know who your pet belongs to, but it’s not enough. Collars can come off. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, you can have a microchip implanted under your pet’s skin.

Take Your Cat to the Vet Day: The American Veterinarian Medical Association recommends that every pet have annual veterinary visits for preventive care. Yet less than half of cat owners in the United States take their cats to a veterinarian on a regular basis. In 2009, the company Feline Pine created Take Your Cat to the Vet Day to build awareness of the need for regular veterinary care for cats.

National Dog Day: Do you remember when you adopted your first dog? Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige created a national pet calendar event in honor of the first dog her family adopted. National Dog Day was founded in 2004 and is celebrated on August 26. Paige is also the founder of National Cat Day, National Puppy Day, and National Mutt Day, all designed to bring attention to the plight of homeless animals and encourage adoption.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day was founded by a fellow pet blogger, Deborah Barnes. The author of Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles, Deb created this special day in tribute to her Ragdoll cat, Mr. Jazz, whom she said goodbye to on August 28, 2013. Upon receiving overwhelming support for her book about his death (Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond), Deb decided to create the day in his honor as a way for others to share memories of their own departed pets.

Pet Holistic Day: Holistic Pet Day was started by pet advocate, Colleen Paige, to encourage owners to look at health care for pets. One of those methods is holistic health, wherein a pet’s diet, lifestyle, and environment are recognized as having a potential impact on its overall health. Some believe that holistic treatments will improve nutrition, increase pet energy, and even manage diseases or cure illnesses.

Missing from my roundup is: National Spoil Your Dog Day.

To read more, check out Pet Calendar Dates. There you’ll find details not only about the above, but about pet-related dates that fall throughout the rest of the year.

With almost 80 million households in the United States owning a pet as of 2015, it should come as no surprise that our calendar year is filled with holidays celebrating our animal companions. These holidays might be a little too obscure to grant anyone a day off from work, but they still might give ideas about how to have fun with or honor pets. Last year to help Lincoln Animal Ambassadors visitors keep track of those very special dates, I began posting information about them. Here are links to all of the events you might have missed in July.

National Pet Photo Day: No one knows who created National Pet Photo Day or even much about it except that July 11th has been set aside to get special pictures of your pets. Whether you take candid or posed shots of your pets, photograph pets at home or bring them to a park, or allow pets to stay casual or force them to dress up, be sure your camera is fully charged. Pictures can be put into a photo album, on the refrigerator, framed to sit on your work desk, or posted on the Internet.

Pet Fire Safety Day was started in the early 2000’s through the combined efforts of the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services. This special calendar day, which falls on July 15, is about creating awareness of how to help prevent your pets from starting fires and how to keep your pets safe if they’re caught in a house fire.

National Craft for Shelters Day: Established in 2012 by Sew Doggy Style blogger Erika Lindquist, National Craft for Shelters Day has a simple message. If you know how to make handmade-crafts, you can use your talent to give back to local shelters on July 21 by making budget-friendly gifts.

National Mutt Day: The need for mutt adopters is so great that, according to DogTime, two days have been set aside to “raise awareness about the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters, and to remind potential pet parents that it’s the personality and not the pedigree that truly matters”. The goal of this biannual event, observed on July 31 and December 1, is to get 10,000 shelter mutts into the loving forever homes.

Missing from my roundup is: Pet Hydration Month.

To read more, check out Pet Calendar Dates. There you’ll find details not only about the above, but about pet-related dates that fall throughout the rest of the year.