Celebrating National Dog Day with Some of My Favorite Dogs
I love dogs! I don’t have one at the moment, but I’ve had two.
Another National and International Dog Day has passed (8/26), and I was surprised to learn that not one of my dog-loving neighbors knew that it was “dog day.” I spent much of the day with all of my furry neighbors. There’s Piper, a golden labrador retriever, M.J., a huge 110-pound black lab, and then there’s Casey, Princess, Duke, Pepper, and Chaos.
National Dog Day was founded in 2004 by animal welfare advocate and pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige, according to the holiday’s official website.
The website says that August 26 “celebrates all breeds, mixed and pure, and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year.”
It also says, “National Dog Day honors family dogs and dogs that work selflessly to save lives, keep us safe, and bring comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day, protecting our families and homes … our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and helping to locate and rescue victims of accidents and tragedy.”
The truth is that your four-legged buddy is more likely to sniff out lost snacks in your couch than detect bombs, but that’s no excuse not to spoil your furry friend on this National Day.
Americans don’t need much convincing in that department: According to Forbes Advisor, 65.1 million Americans have dogs and spend an average of $730 a year on them.
Also, 60% of owners swear they have the world’s most spoiled dog according to Studyfinds, with 37% of respondents saying they’d happily switch lives with their dogs for the day.
The French Bulldog is the most popular breed in the U.S., according to the American Kennel Club. According to survey data from the pet supply company Bark Box, Luna is the country’s most popular dog name.
If you missed it, it’s not too late, your dog doesn’t know what a calendar is. Bring them home a belated National Dog Day surprise!
Celebrities Who Have Verified Instagram Accounts For Their Pets
We all know those people who have accounts for their babies or pets. Did you know even Hollywood A-listers take part in that, too? It doesn’t matter if you’re famous or not — if someone feels as though they’ve got some cuteness overload to share, there will be a page dedicated to that. We must admit, it is kind of charming for grown adults to run pages of cute content from the perspective of their furry friends. Some celebrities’ pets have enough followers that their accounts have been verified on Instagram, while others are still steadily climbing in popularity to gain enough followers to get that blue checkmark.
For example, Paris Hilton has an entire Instagram dedicated to all of her “fur kids,” called Hilton Pets (@hiltonpets). The heiress has more than just dogs, which most people don’t know. On her official website, the Simple Life alum has a page dedicated to all the pets she currently has and once had. This includes miniature pigs, ponies, ferrets, monkeys, cats, and bunnies — oh my! Paris even has a verified TikTok account with the funniest and cutest videos featuring her adorable pets.
Benefits of Having a Pet
Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets is linked to several health benefits, according to the CDC. Pets can increase opportunities to exercise, get outside, and socialize. Regular walking or playing with pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets can help manage loneliness and depression by giving us companionship. When cats purr, they emit a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses and lower stress. Most households in the United States have at least one pet.
Keep scrolling to see which celebrities have verified Instagram accounts for their adorable pets.
Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.