March 20th is National Puppy Day

March 20 is the day all animal lovers get to celebrate National Puppy Day. This day was created by Colleen Paige in 2006, and it is a day that was created to dedicate and show appreciation for our four-legged friends and raise awareness about how important dog adoption is. National Puppy Day does focus on the cute and playful videos that are shared around the world, but more importantly Colleen created this holiday to help encourage people to adopt dogs from shelters rather than buying them from breeders. 

We all know that puppies bring so much joy, companionship, and energy into our lives, and we are able to celebrate them on this special day. They are more than just pets to many of us; with their playful personalities and loyalty, they are family. Believe it or not spending time with a puppy can help improve one’s mood. This day is also about sharing the positive impact than pets have on mental and emotional well-being. 

Being a college student can make this day a little more bittersweet. Many students move away from their home for the first time, and they often must leave their childhood pets behind. College life itself can be a lot to manage; from homework and balancing responsibilities to navigating friendships, it can be overwhelming. Being able to face-time your childhood pets this day could bring a smile to your face. 

Although your pet is back home, with midterms around the corner, visiting a local dog shelter and interacting with the pets can bring joy as well as a sense of relief. Spending even a few minutes with a puppy can help reduce stress and give you a break from studying! Some colleges also allow service animals or emotional support animals to live in student housing in order to help better support the students well-being. 

As I mentioned above another important reason why we celebrate National Puppy Day is to help promote adoption. Did you know there are currently millions of dogs in shelters that are waiting for someone to take them home? This day helps encourage people to support their local shelters, even if you are just volunteering or starting to consider the idea of adopting. It us important to remember that adoption not only helps animals find loving homes, but it also helps reduce the number of pets that are stuck in shelters. 

Overall, National Puppy Day is a fun day that was created to be able to celebrate our love for our four-legged friends and the happiness that they bring into our lives. Whether you own a dog, make a trip to the shelter or simply get a good smile from the online puppy videos, March 20 is the perfect day to appreciate these loving pets and the special bond that is created between humans and their furry little companions.