How To Celebrate National Rescue Dog Day

Attention all dog lovers -- this Thursday marks the third annual National Rescue Dog Day! Earlier this week, the holiday’s founder Lisa Wiehebrink, author of “Love Me Gently,” appeared on KTLA to talk about the amazing event. She stated that she established the holiday as a way to normalize adopting rescue dogs. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Dogster

“I founded it to simply break down the stigmas of rescue dogs so when people are considering... getting dogs we want them to consider adoption and to visit their local shelters because those dogs are amazing and just want a second chance,” said Wiehebrink. 

During the interview, Wiehebrink suggested a few ways to celebrate National Rescue Dog Day. For those who are able, consider heading over to a shelter and adopting one of the many pups who have not yet found their forever families. According to the ASPCA, every year 3.3 million dogs are taken to shelters, and unfortunately, only 1.6 million of those dogs are adopted each year. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Eugene Chystiakov

If it’s not feasible for you to adopt right now, you can always become a foster pup parent. By fostering, you’ll be helping an adoptable dog get socialized, which increases their adoptability. Also, you get to hang out with a precious pooch without having to commit to being a full-time dog parent.

Those who have already have a rescue dog, upload a photo (or seven) of your pooch on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. In the caption, talk about why you decided to get a rescue and how incredible they are. Before you hit publish, make sure you add the hashtag “nationalrescuedogday,” so other rescue enthusiasts can see you and your dog’s story. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Berkay Gumustekin

Woof Republic offers a lot of great content for pet parents bringing home a rescue dog. For more thoughts, check out our feature on Rent.com.