Have You Heard of Dogust 1st? The first day of August, which is right around the corner, is also known as Dogust 1st. When a dog ends up in a shelter, the staff often don’t have a way to know its age and official birth date. So August 1 has become the day to celebrate birthdays for shelter dogs. Shelters all over America celebrate their sweet pups on this day. And it would be a great day to visit a shelter, take part in an event, or have your own activity at home to learn about compassion for animals.
The Goal for the Day
On the shelter side, they will be planning events and giving treats to the birthday pups. But their biggest focus on August 1 will be trying to get these dogs into loving homes. North Shore Animal League America leads this effort. And shelters work hard to raise awareness in their communities about the need for pet adoptions.
There’s a lot we can do
On our side, there is a lot we can do. Of course, the main goal is to get these dogs into homes. And if you’ve been thinking about getting a dog, please do check your local shelters. There are some wonderful dogs there, and the idea that a shelter dog is automatically a bad dog is not correct. Some of these dogs have been lost, and some of them are a result of a hasty decision to get a dog without thinking about the effort required. So check the shelter and visit the dogs. You might just fall in love with one of them.
Even if you’re not ready to bring a dog into your home, there are other ways to help these animals. You can bring your kids to visit the dogs in the shelter. This is a great way for them to learn about compassion for animals. And many of the dogs love to have company too. You can help them by visiting them.
You can also participate in volunteer services for your shelter. See how you can help them with your time and hard work. You can also volunteer to collect items that the shelter might need. The staff at your local shelter can tell you what they need the most. Collecting items to meet a need is another memorable way for your kids to learn about compassion for animals.
Your Own Learning Activities
Help your kids learn about compassion for animals at home too. Most kids adore animals and love learning about them, so this is a great time to learn about dogs. Check your library for children’s books about different kinds of dogs, and even some stories about dogs in shelters.
Your kids can color, draw, or paint dogs. At Signing Time, we have some coloring pages with lots of animals. In this set, we have a little dog flying an airplane. You can download it here.
And of course we need to learn the sign for dog.
There are some fun ways to learn about compassion for animals. Our My Signing Time shows also teach the signs for different animals. Look around the Watch Free section or try out a digital subscription with a 14-day free trial right here!