Send them off to school in style, with everything they need to make the grade. Check with your local school for exact quantities. In our county the quantities differ quite a bit depending on the school.
All during the month of August, National Dog Month celebrates our loveable canine pals smack in the middle of the dog days of summer. Dogs are the #1 most commonly owned pets on the planet, and with good reason. Did you know that scientific studies prove our pawsome companions make us happier, less stressed, and more optimistic? The list of benefits to spending time with a dog goes on and on, but it all proves one thing––that a month-long celebration of our furry best friends has been a long time coming.
Rosie is a rescue as is tiny Peanut. They are the best of friends.
Whether your dog burrows under the blankets with you at night, plays in the sprinkler, or alerts you to a health need, we know they are constantly improving our lives and making them more fun. Not only that, but the companionship and affection we share with them make their lives better, too. Dog lovers know a life without dogs is a life missing something special, and that’s a fact worth celebrating.
NATIONAL DOG MONTH HISTORY
Milk-Bone brand (The J.M. Smucker Company) founded National Dog Month in 2020 to recognize all the ways dogs make our lives better.
This is the easy part. Celebrate with your best pal. Take an extra-long walk. Play fetch or spare an extra Milk-Bone treat. Get your dog the toy he’s been wanting or visit the dog park. Speaking of visits, make your next veterinarian appointment to ensure your pet stays healthy and strong. Donate to your local shelter or to a larger dog nonprofit. You can also volunteer your services. Not only will the dogs appreciate the support, but so will their future human companions. However you celebrate, be sure to use #NationalDogMonth to post on social media.
National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31st and December 2nd.
Desperately longing for a new home, millions of loving and healthy mixed breed dogs in shelters wait for someone to come and adopt them. National Mutt Day provides an excellent opportunity to find the perfect canine companion. Despite the name, a mutt learns, obeys and trains much like purebred animals. While their lineage cannot be traced and their features a bit murky, their companionship will be faithful.
According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year. When these abandoned and often abused animals find their way to a shelter, each one needs a forever home. Whether you know it or not, their potential is limitless. Some of the benefits of adoption are often hidden. Human and canine both enjoy increased physical activity. Another boost is social interaction through daily walks. While humans develop patience, their four-legged companion learns to trust and new limits. For example, as dogs explore the many scents of the human lifestyle, they usually discover shoes are off-limits.
No matter the breed, size or demeanor of the human, er, canine, the shelter will take the time to find the right home for their animals. They schedule visits and have procedures in place to promote healthy adoptions for families and individuals. While some dogs experience injury or illness, the shelters work with veterinarians to heal the animals before making them available for adoption.
Of course, shelters always welcome donations and volunteers. Dogs love walking, playing and being loved even if they haven’t found their forever home. Every moment they spend socializing increases their opportunity for adoption.
Celebrity Pet Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Paige, founded National Mutt Day in 2005. Celebrate the day on both December 2 and July 31 of each year. Learn more at http://www.nationalmuttday.com.
Visit a shelter; if you are unable to adopt a dog, you can always volunteer. Post on social media using #NationalMuttDay and encourage others to join in.
National Pink Day is observed annually on June 23rd. This day is set aside for the color pink and all it represents.
First used as a color name in the late 17th century, pink is a pale red color which got its name from a flower of same name.
According to surveys in both the United States and Europe with results indicating that the color pink combined with white or pale blue is most commonly associated with femininity, sensitivity, tenderness, childhood and the romantic. Pink, when combined with violet or black is associated with eroticism and seduction.
Dating back to the 14th century, “to pink” (the verb) means “to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern.”
It would have been curious to find pink used in fabric or decor during the Middle Ages. Occasionally it was seen in women’s fashion and religious art. In the 13th and 14th century, the Christ child was sometimes portrayed dressed in pink, the color associated with the body of Christ. Pink was mainly used for the flesh color of faces and hands during the Renaissance.
The Rococo Period (1720-1777) was the golden age for the color pink. Pastel colors became very fashionable in all the courts of Europe during this time. Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), the mistress of King Louis XV of France, was known for wearing the color pink, often combined with light blue. At one point in time, Ms. Pompadour had a particular tint of pink made specifically for her.
Pink ribbons or decorations were worn by young boys in 19th century England. The men in England wore red uniforms and since boys were considered small men, boys wore pink.
Pink became much bolder, brighter and more assertive in the 20th century and 1931, the color “Shocking Pink” was introduced.
As one of the most common colors of flowers, pink serves to attract the insects and birds that are necessary for pollination.
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In the pink – To be in top form, in good health, in good condition.
To see pink elephants – To hallucinate from alcoholism.
Pink slip – To be given a pink slip means to be fired or dismissed from a job. First recorded in 1915 in the United States.
Pink-collar worker – Persons working in jobs conventionally regarded as “women’s work.”
Pink Money – the pink pound or pink dollar is an economic term which refers to the spending power of the LGBT community.
Tickled pink – means extremely pleased.
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HOW TO OBSERVE
The most apparent way to celebrate is to wear pink. Enjoy foods and beverages that are pink. Give a donation to any of the charities that use the color pink. Use #NationalPinkDay in social media.
On June 8, honor your closest and dearest friend on Best Friends Day.
The relationship between best friends is often fierce and can withstand distance, storms and silence. Whether we’ve known them all our lives or they are more recently acquired, best friends make tough times bearable, fun times memorable and memorable times priceless.
