Today is National Mutt Day and we're celebrating!
You may remember when we did the Wisdom DNA test on Rosie. The results came back 12% Akita, 12% Labrador Retriever and 12% Fox Terrier. The remaining 64% was a jumble of dog breeds, so many that they could not be singled out. Pretty sure that describes a mutt!
I happen to believe that 64% is composed of love. Lots and lots of love.
That's true of all my dogs - they're all made of love - and definitely true of the mutts in my life. And there have been quite a few of them. None shown here, but still loved just as much - are Spanky and Sherman. Both were adopted from animal shelters. My heart dog, Lucy, wasn't a shelter dog, but she was a gorgeous mutt!
Jeffie and Rosie both came from the same animal shelter and were found via Petfinder. You can fetch Jeffie's Petfinder story for puppy pictures!
Tucker was not a shelter dog. He was a stray puppy my vet was sure was a bait dog. Poor guy got lucky when he found his way to our front porch. A bit of Lab? Chow? Who knows. What we know for sure: we had 14 beautiful years together.
Benji holds the distinction of being both my very first mutt and my very first shelter dog. I saw him during my very first visit to an animal shelter. It definitely was my lucky day!
Now, this is my kind of holiday! Today is National Mutt Day! Since mutts are my favorite dog breed - sorry, Rudy - I like to think I celebrate mutts every day.
My current mutts join a long list of mutts and mongrels in my life. I found both Jeffie and Rosie on Petfinder and adopted them from the same animal shelter six years apart.
Jeffie represents two awesome dog breeds: Golden Retriever and Border Collie. As the Wisdom DNA Panel showed us, Rosie is a mutt extraordinaire and has an unlimited number of dog breeds in her genetic make up.
The bottom line: shelter dogs are fantastic and mutt is really spelled L O V E.
Colleen Paige, a celebrity pet and animal welfare expert, created National Mutt Day in 2005. The day is celebrated twice a year, in December and July, to call attention to mixed breed dogs in animal shelters. Paige aims to raise awareness about the plight of those shelter dogs who wait for homes or are euthanized.
National Mutt Day encourages you to visit your local animal shelter and adopt a new best friend. Not ready to adopt? There are many other ways you can help:
- Volunteer and walk a dog at your local shelter.
- Donate pet food, supplies and treats to your local shelter.
- Hold an event to raise funds for your local shelter.
- Offer to walk the mutt of an elderly neighbor.
- Write your Congressman and ask that they support the ban of puppy mills in your state.
- Take your own mutt to visit a local home for the elderly.
- Spread the word about how awesome mutts are!
Today we're celebrating National Mutt Day!
A mutt is a dog of unknown ancestry that belongs to no single organizationally recognized breed and is not the result of selective breeding according to Wikipedia.
I grew up with purebred dogs. Blackie Duke was a Labrador Retriever. Skippy was a Cocker Spaniel. Snoopy was a Beagle. All pedigreed, papered and purchased from responsible dog breeders.
When I left for college I was deeply in love with my mom's (purebred and registered) Dachshund.
However, my own first dog was a mutt and a shelter dog. Benji was a mix of dog breeds that included German Shepherd and Doberman. I adored him. He road shotgun in my life voyage as a young adult.
Want a unique dog? How about the sweetness of a Golden Retriever with the spicey smartness of a Border Collie, plus so much more? Head to your nearest animal shelter. That's where I met and fell in love with my Jeffie. He's one in a series of mutts who have made my life richer.
National Mutt Day was created in 2005 by Colleen Paige, Celebrity Pet Expert and Animal Welfare Expert. The day which takes place on December 2 each year is about celebrating mixed breed dogs - the mutt! Sadly, the largest number of dogs euthanized in animal shelters each year are unwanted, medium to large mixed breed dogs.
In every heart there is a hole...
in every shelter there is LOVE to fill it.
~ Colleen Paige
The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters around the USA and to educate the public about the number of mixed breed dogs that are waiting to be given a loving and caring home.
This December, on National Mutt Day, we hope you'll visit your local shelter. Adopt a mixed breed dog or make a donation of money, time, or needed supplies.
Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.
