Why adopting a dog will be one of the best things you ever do

Plus simple ways we can all honour International Homeless Animals Day this weekend.

August 21 marks International Homeless Animals Day, a day to give thought to the millions of unwanted dogs in the world. And hopefully take some local positive action to help our furry friends.

With overpopulation, neglect, and now the pandemic spiking abandonment numbers, there are over 2 million homeless dogs in Canada. Only a small fraction of them are spayed or neutered, and the numbers of dogs that are put down each year is in the hundreds of thousands. Since the first awareness day was introduced by the International Society for Animal Rights in 1992, International Homeless Animals Day lands on the third Saturday in August every year, and today, close to 40 countries participate - from South Africa and Spain to Hong Kong and Honduras.

Canada has always played a big part in the day, where vets, humane societies, protection agencies, city officials, and dog lovers all join together for awareness, activities, and adopt-a-thons.

If there is one thing the day does best, it’s giving a voice to the countless homeless animals society often forgets about. It’s said that for every person without a home, there are 5 animals with nowhere to live.

But International Homeless Animals Day isn’t just about doom, gloom, and guilt. It’s about looking toward positive solutions about what can be done - especially in our own B.C. backyard.

3 simple actions you can take

Helping reduce homelessness among our dogs is as obvious as it sounds. But these actions deserve repeating for the special day.

1. Spay/neuter your dog

2. Volunteer and donate to shelters

3. Adopt and foster

Donna Petryna, the founder of the S.A.R.A. Society (Save Animals Through Rescue and Adoption) in Surrey, describes dog adoption as, well, “indescribable.” She has saved and seen more than a thousand dogs go to good homes over the years.

“The emotion when a family first takes in a dog is unparalleled,” she says. “It’s tearful and joyful. The dogs even pee because they can feel the emotion! It makes my heart smile.”

Petryna now offers her home to the “un-adoptable” dogs out there (the “biters, the poopers, the aged”) to live out the rest of their lives in a loving space.

5 ways dog adoption will improve your life

As if you needed more reasons were needed, if you're prepared and ready to give a dog a loving forever home, there many reasons why adopting a dog will be the best thing you ever do. So, in honour of International Homeless Animals Day, we here at OhMyDog! came up with some extra benefits of adopting a new family member.

1. Unconditional love

Dogs don’t hold back on kisses and wags, they never troll your social media, and they always put up with your smells.

2. Free workouts

Owning a dog forces you outside daily. And after 18 months in and out of lockdown, the timing couldn’t be better to adopt one.

3. New social network

Dog owners are naturally nutty, loyal, and abundant. Dogs can also make great matchmakers when you least expect it.

4. Up your online cool

You’ll be so busy taking and posting photos of your dog online, you may have to take time off work. We will write you a note.

5. One less homeless dog

Every adoption counts. And the returns are infinite.