National Puppy Day is March 23rd

National Puppy Day is a highly anticipated and special day for many dog lovers, but especially here at Bark ATL. It is a national holiday that takes place on March 23^rd, founded in 2006 by animal behaviorist and author, Colleen Paige. This coming Wednesday will be the 11^th anniversary of National Puppy Day.

National Puppy Day is not only a day designed to celebrate the unconditional love that our great furry friends bring into our lives, but also a day created to bring awareness to the orphaned puppies that are in need of love and homes.

Here at Bark ATL, we recently fostered four dogs from the Friends of Dekalb Animals (FODA). It is an all volunteer based, non-profit initiative, formed to save the lives of animals in Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties. It’s important that as members of our community in Atlanta, we are aware of the rising issues dealing with animal cruelty and overpopulation of animal shelters.

Read More About Our FODA Friends

10 Ways to Celebrate National Puppy Day

While not a complete list, here are 10 of our favorite ways to celebrate this warm and fuzzy holiday:

1. Buy your pup a new toy.
2. Give your pup extra attention and playtime.
3. Invite other puppies and their owners over for a puppy play date.
4. Visit a dog park or come to doggie daycare at Bark ATL.
5. Have a nice cuddle session with your puppy to show them how much you appreciate them!
6. Give your pup a treat.
7. Adopt a puppy from a local shelter. A few local options include:
   • PAWS Atlanta
   • Furkids
   • Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption
   • Atlanta Humane Society
8. Raise awareness on social media about local high kill animal control facilities by sharing our blog about FODA.
9. Donate money, food, toys or volunteer time to a local shelter or rescue group.
10. Read some adorable quotes about puppies.

In the spirit of this holiday, we wanted to share two of our favorite quotes about puppies:

• “Puppies are the most trusting, innocent and joyous creatures on the planet. Oh, how I strive to be more like a puppy.” -Colleen Paige
• “There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.”- Bern Williams

Another way that we celebrate National Puppy Day is enjoying cute and “punny” memes found all over the web:

Are you feeling the puppy spirit? Post your favorite photos of your furry friends on our Facebook page.

Happy National Puppy Day!