NATIONAL DOG MONTH

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.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalDogMonth

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.

Milk Bone
Milk Bone

NATIONAL MUTT DAY

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.

NATIONAL MUTT DAY HISTORY

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.

Love Animals…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalMuttDay

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.

Customer Favorites: Pets
Customer Favorites: Pets

NATIONAL ADOPT A SHELTER PET DAY

Each year, on April 30th raises awareness for thousands of pets that are waiting for (and needing) adoption from the shelters.

Animal shelters require year-round assistance and adoption is a part of the process. Since animals come in daily, the shelters must work quickly to ensure the animal’s health and well being. Only then can they be adopted into their forever home. The day also encourages you to visit a shelter near you and find your new fur baby. Visit with the shelter to consider all the needs the dog or cat requires for the long term.

If you feel you can’t meet those needs, consider helping in other ways. Give your time by volunteering. Not only will this help the shelter by providing the animals with exercise, companionship, and socialization, but it also gives you that wonderful animal love we all so enjoy.

You can also check the shelter’s donation needs list. Bring the items you are able to give. This will help the shelter animals find their forever homes more quickly.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #AdoptAShelterPet

Visit a shelter today and consider adopting. Also, remember to spay and neuter your fur babies. It helps reduce the number of unwanted pets in the population. Recent studies are showing we are making progress. Keep up the good work! For more information on adoption, visit the Humane Society or your local shelter. 

Celebrate the day by sharing pictures of your adopted pet on social media using #AdoptAShelterPetDay.

NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY

Each year on National Scrabble Day April 13th recognizes a game played around the world. Originally named Lexiko and then Criss-Cross Words, Alfred Mosher Butts eventually settled on the name Scrabble. The amateur artist and unemployed architect developed the word game in the midst of the depression. Still, it wasn’t until 1948, a final name change and a trademark that Butts finally began to produce the game.  

Scrabble is played with two to four players who score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15 x 15 grid.

In the United States, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions. Worldwide, over One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold with sets being found in nearly one-third of American homes.

  • 1984 – Scrabble became a daytime game show on NBC
  • 2004 – Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
  • Some cities sponsor Scrabble tournaments on the weekend closest to National Scrabble Day
  • The word “scrabble” means to “grope frantically.”

NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY HISTORY

National Scrabble Day commemorates the birth of Alfred Mosher Butts, born on April 13, 1899. However, our research had not identified the founder of the day. 

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalScrabbleDay

Call your friends and play a game or two of Scrabble! Mix it up, too. There are several ways to play the game if you want to change things up a bit. For example, if you’re spending time alone, Scrabble solitaire challenges you at your own game of words. Another version allows players to only play nouns but they earn bonus points for playing nouns that are both a proper noun and an approved Scrabble word. 

Once you’ve played a game, take the final board and create a crossword puzzle using this template. Develop hints to the words and see if others can solve the puzzle. 

Do you have fun alternative ways of playing the game? Use #NationalScrabbleDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL PET DAY

National Pet Day on April 11th dedicates the day to those pets who may not always get the companionship and attention pets deserve. While loving our pets is something we do every day, the observance encourages helping out orphaned pet companions. It will improve their health and enhance their opportunities for adoption.

Sometimes their human companions aren’t well.  Making sure their forever furry friends are receiving the best of care will help relieve stress and worry.

National Pet Day is an excellent time to do a few checks for your pets.

  • Go through your furever family member’s toys. Throw away any items that are no longer safe.
  • Maintain your pet-friendly home. Keep cords and toxins secure from your four-legged friends. This includes phone chargers.
  • Verify when vaccinations are due and schedule an appointment to update if they are due.
  • Check collars to ensure tags are secure and numbers are current. We sometimes forget to update this information when we move or change numbers.
Meet Leo, Peanut, Wylie, Inky, Molly, Rosie, and Charlie.

NATIONAL PET DAY HISTORY

Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert & Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige founded the day in 2005.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPetDay

  • Take supplies to those pets in shelters.
  • Help a friend with pets who is recovering from an illness.  
  • Adopt a pet.
  • Give your pets extra love with a bath and rub down.
  • Use #NationalPetDay on social media.