DOGust: Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs Month

You read that correctly. ' DOGust,' not August. DOGust is a yearly, month long celebration for all shelter pups and rescues. We don’t know their past, so we don’t know when shelter dogs and rescues have birthdays. Because everyone deserves a birthday - not knowing the date doesn’t stop us from celebrating! Beth Ostrosky, a spokesperson for the Animal League, the DOGust founding organization, describe this special month-long recognition, “A birthday celebration is an opportunity to express our sentiments for one another, These wonderful animals, many still waiting patiently in shelters for their adopters, are so fill of life and love, and live to please us. Now we have a day set aside to honor them and return the unconditional love and adoration they give us, day after day.” To help get the celebration started, we’ve got a list of some of the awesome ways people can celebrate their found fur-babies for DOGust.

Celebrate All Shelter Dogs for DOGust

• Adopt for DOGust . If there is room in your home for another fur-baby, make the choice this month. It’s the perfect time to find the right match and many shelters are offering specials to help motivate guardians to take the plunge.
• Volunteer at a Shelter. If adding to the family isn’t in the cards right now, that’s OK! Instead, think about offering a day, a few hours, or a whole week to help care for these patient pups. There’s always something to do.
• Donate Supplies to the No-Kill Shelter of Your Choice . Many shelters rely solely on donations. Even those shelters with a healthy budget go through an incredible volume of supplies. Money always helps, but they often accept food and other gifts. Call the shelter to find out what they need and check out this article for additional ideas.

Celebrate a Special Shelter Dog

• Throw a Doggy Birthday Party. We can throw a party for our special mutt and invite neighborhood pups for a playdate. Go all out with invites, dog-safe decorations, and squeaky toy party favors.
• Bake some special dog treats. If a big birthday party seems like a bit much, bake some special treats with some favorite flavors. Peanut butter? Bacon? Maybe some cheese?
• Buy a new toy! Everyone gets a gift for their birthday, right? Head to the nearest doggy toy store and let’s let Fido pick a new favorite. Let them take all the time they need and then give it to them to proudly carry out of the store.

Everyone deserves a special day. We all need at least one day a year that is all about us and now we can use DOGust to mark that special day for our pups. So get the streamers. Bake that special, dog-friendly cake, and we’ll all celebrate together. Happy birthday!