National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31st and December 2nd. The need to adopt shelter mutts is so great that two days of the calendar year are devoted to National Mutt Day (July 31 and December 2).
Desperately longing for a new home, millions of loving and healthy mixed breed dogs in shelters across the United States are waiting for someone to come and adopt them. National Mutt Day provides an excellent opportunity to find the perfect canine companion. Despite the name, a mutt learns, obeys and trains much like purebred animals. While their lineage cannot be traced and their features a bit murky, their companionship will be faithful.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Visit a shelter; if you are unable to adopt a dog, you can always volunteer. Post on social media using #NationalMuttDay and encourage others to join in.
HISTORY
Celebrity Pet Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Paige, founded National Mutt Day in 2005. This day is celebrated on both December 2 and July 31 of each year.
According to some sources, about 25 percent of all dogs who end up at animal shelters are purebreds. That means a whopping 75 percent — the vast majority of shelter dogs waiting for homes — are mixed breed dogs, otherwise known as Mutts.
To raise awareness about the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters, and to remind potential pet parents that it’s the personality and not the pedigree that truly matters, pet expert and animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige created National Mutt Day in 2005.
The need for Mutt adopters is so great that Paige instituted not one but two National Mutt Days — July 31 and December 2.
There are plenty of benefits to choosing a Mutt over a purebred pooch, but one definitely worth mentioning is longevity. Mixed breed dogs on the whole tend to live longer and have healthier lives than purebreds. While many purebred breeds are prone to certain breed-specific diseases and conditions, Mutts are often heartier because they are derived from a more diverse gene pool than their pure counterparts. Genes from one component breed could cancel out disease-causing genes in another, resulting in a healthier dog.
If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind pet, you can’t go wrong with a Mutt. Mutts come in all shapes and sizes, and have a veritable rainbow of coat colors and patterns to choose from. No two Mutts are alike, so your mixed breed best friend’s unique features will likely turn some heads and earn plenty of compliments at the dog park.
Perhaps the best reason to adopt a Mutt is this—you get to save the life of a worthy and wonderful dog and take a stand against unscrupulous breeders. Every Mutt that is adopted is one less dog purchased from a puppy mill, which means less money for mill operators.
Want to get involved and spread the word about National Mutt Day? Share the event’s Facebook page with a friend today. And even if you can’t bring home a new mixed breed friend today, there is still plenty you can do to help homeless Mutts. Stop by your local animal shelter to volunteer or to make a donation in honor of National Mutt Day.
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