Every year on the third Saturday in August, we observe International Homeless Animals Day to celebrate how far we’ve come in taking care of our pets and to share knowledge on what more we can do.
International Homeless Animals Day (IHAD) began in 1992 when the International Society for Animals Rights decided to dedicate a day to spread awareness about pet overpopulation. Since then, events, observances, participants and positive results have grown every year. Currently, celebrations can be found in all 50 states and more than 50 countries. To date, the group has saved the lives of millions of animals around the world.
How to Observe International Homeless Animals Day
At an age appropriate For your dog or cat, spay or neuter your pet
Ensuring all pets are spayed or neutered is one of IHAD’s most ambitious and important goals. A single, non-spayed female dog and her mate can produce about 16 puppies in a year. If none of these puppies are spayed or neutered, it can turn into 128 more puppies in two years. After three years, that’s 512 puppies. If extrapolated to six years, that’s 67,000 animals from that unprotected first mating!
Adopt a pet
Aside from doing your part to control pet overpopulation, one of the greatest things you could do this August 19 is take home a pet from a shelter. These animal control centers fill up fast, but we can all make a big difference by inviting a dog or cat to be your new roommate in a safe, loving home.
