Observed All Month
October is the month to adopt! Your fur baby is waiting.
Adopt-A-Dog Month®
An Adopted Dog can bring so much love and joy into your life!
In an effort to help the estimated 3 to 4 million animals waiting in shelters, every October for the past 40 years American Humane has celebrated “Adopt-a-Dog Month®” to help these precious ones find the loving, forever homes that they deserve.
“Be a hero this month and adopt a dog from your local shelter or rescue group. You’ll be saving his or her life and greatly improving your own, as dogs are amazing, supportive, and heroic companions. “
Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month
There are today approximately 5,000 community animal shelters nationwide. For upwards of 3 to 4 million dogs in this country, shelters are the last hope.
They may have been abused, or they may have been neglected. They may have even been unwanted. But now they need to be adopted and loved by a compassionate human (who might also need to be loved) or family that wants an additional member.
Today is the best time to go to a shelter or rescue group or animal sanctuary and find a new BFF to fill your home and heart with love.
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
Although October is OFFICIALLY National Animal Safety and Protection Month, the safety and protection of our pets should have our attention EVERY DAY.
Vitabone offers these First Aid tips to us to help protect our pets:
“Below are some basic pet safety tips that you should always keep in mind. If our dogs could tell us what hurts, it would be a different story; so it’s crucial to understand what behavior and signs suggest that your dog may not be feeling 100% and what is normal. Breathing rate, dehydration and temperature are all things we can keep an eye out for.
“Watch your dog and count the number of times his chest rises and falls in one minute. Normal breathing rates (not breed/size specific) are 10-30 breaths per minute and up to 200 pants (breathing with mouth open and tongue out) per minute. To tell if your dog is dehydrated, pull on the skin between the shoulder blades. Your dog’s skin should spring right back. If it stays tented, this may be a sign of dehydration. To take your dog’s temperature, use a digital thermometer. Lubricate the thermometer with a water-based lubricant or petroleum jelly. Insert the tip into the rectum (just beneath the tail). When the thermometer beeps, remove it and read the number. Their temperature should read between 99.5-102.5 degrees Farenheit.”
Vitabone and the Red Cross offer a Free Pet First Aid App. Text “GETPET” to 90999 or get it at the App Store or Google Play.
National Pet Wellness Month
dogtime.com offers the following suggestions for keeping your fur pal healthy:
1 – Focus on Nutrition
2 – Control Their Weight
3 – Get Enough Exercise
4 – Don’t Skip Dental Care
5 – Brush Their Fur
6 – Don’t Overdo the Bathing
7 – Learn How to Take Care of Nails
8 – Check and Clean Those Ears
9 – Don’t Go Overboard With Supplements
10 – Spend Quality Time With Your Dog
National Pit Bull Awareness Month
When my friend Sybil told me she had a Pit Bull, I said, “A WHAAAT???” Not in a soft voice. I admit it. I was afraid.
Now, I’ve never been afraid of dogs. I love them, but I had fallen for the myth that “certain breeds are more dangerous or likely to bite than others.” For real, I was afraid to visit my friend for a good little while – but when I finally met Rex, I fell in love!
My only “complaint” was that he was so strong and busy. Lord, that “little puppy” was one big muscle! And fast, too. Before I could get seated on the sofa, Rex was all over me, and he only had ONE thing in mind: to be hugged and loved.
That was quite a while ago, and I don’t know anyone else who has (or had) a Pit Bull, but I can say this: If they are ALL like Rex – WOW! What the world needs is more determined, strong huggin’ and lovin’ like that!
Observed for the Week
October 1–7: National Walk Your Dog Week (first week of October)
October 3–9: Animal Welfare Week (first full week of October)
October 17–23: National Veterinary Technician Week
Daily Activities
October 1: National Fire Pup Day
October 1: National Black Dog Day
October 4: World Animal Day
October 4: World Pet Day
October 14: Pet Obesity Awareness Day
October 17: National Fetch Day
October 21: National Pets for Veterans Day
October 27: National Pit Bull Awareness Day
October 31: Halloween
One More Thing
If you’re concerned about adopting a dog, check out “What Dogs Don’t Care About.” It will ease your mind.
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Resources:
Vitabone
DogTime
https://dogtime.com/dog-health/30333-october-pet-wellness-month#1
Red Cross
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps.html
National Today
https://nationaltoday.com/adopt-shelter-dog-month /
American Humane
Pawmetto Lifeline
“Myths vs Fact: Pitbulls” – October 23, 2019
“Pit Bull with Kisses” – Image by Beverly Lussier from Pixabay