Happy First Week of Barktober!

Okay, so that was a horrible pun... but it's the first week of my favorite month... October!  And that's not just exciting for people who love this month (and Halloween) but for dog lovers, too.  That's because the first week of October (October 1st - 7th) is double-packed with dog holidays.  

First off, it's National Walk Your Dog Week.  This holiday was founded in 2010 by Colleen Paige, a celebrity pet lifestyle expert and animal advocate.  She founded it to raise awareness of the rising animal behavior and animal obesity issues in this country.  Paige intends to encourage dog owners to set aside time every day to take their dog for a walk, even if it's a short one!  This also encourages dog owners to get out for their own reasons too, as often we are so busy that we don't set aside time to exercise.  But when it's for our dog, we end up benefiting, too!

Second, it's Animal Welfare Week.  This was founded by the American Veterinary Medical Association to promote, well, animal welfare!  It encourages all pet owners to make sure that their pets are getting proper medical care.  They ask for the "Five Basic Freedoms" for Animal Welfare: Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition; Freedom from physical discomfort and pain; Freedom from injury and disease; Freedom to conform to essential behavior patterns; Freedom from fear and distress.  Animal Welfare Week is all about making sure your pet has every need met and that they're safe, comfortable and healthy in your care.  It's also to increase awareness of animal cruelty and the animals who are on the streets, not receiving proper care.  

And not only is it a double-dog week, but October is also National Pet Wellness Month, which goes right along with the other holidays!  So make sure this month is all about treating your dog right, because that's what all these holidays are telling us!  Happy October!