Two Paws Up for Celebrating Mutts
Most people have a weak spot in their hearts for dogs – big dogs, little dogs, in-between dogs. But today is a special day, specifically dedicated to our favorite mixed-breed friends. National Mutt Day – also known as National Mixed-Breed Dog Day – celebrates 11 years in 2016. Originally created in 2005 by animal behaviorist Colleen Paige, the focus is all on celebrating and saving mixed breeds. There are plenty of people drawn in by the idea of having a prestigious purebred or a puppy, but it’s easy to forget that going either of those routes leads to mistreatment of dogs seen as “less desirable” – unfortunately, this is usually the mutt population.
Celebrated on both July 31st and December 2nd, National Mutt Day was created to draw more attention to the often neglected and abandoned faction of the canine population. For the most part, over 50% of dogs in shelters nationwide are mixed breeds. A strong goal of National Mutt Day is education, alongside the appreciation and celebration. Here are some mutt facts you might not have known:
- Mutts benefit from a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor, meaning that they get sick less often and are much less likely to suffer from hereditary ailments than their purebred cousins (a big benefit from the wide gene pools most mixed dogs can draw from).
- If you cannot distinguish any breed characteristics in a mutt, it is technically considered a “non-breed,” i.e., with some breeds, you can look at them and make a pretty good guess about the breeds of the parents. With non-breed dogs, their appearance is so blended that it’s impossible to tell.
- Due to the mutt variety in appearance, there’s a mixed breed for every living situation – mutts for apartments, mutts for farms, and mutts for families.
- Just look at how cute they are.
Interested in pitching in for your fur friends on National Mutt Day? If you’re already in the market for a new friend, why don’t you drop by a shelter and adopt today? If you’re not in the right place for a dog, please consider donating, or posting on social media with the hashtag #NationalMuttDay to spread awareness.
If you’d like a chance to show off your dog love, PropertyRoom.com has you covered. Coming up on the site soon are auctions for dog-related bracelet charms, and even one featuring a tiny Scottie dog. And if you’re not into bracelets, there’s even a curious little auction for a silver bar, complete with a puppy on the surface. And, as always, there are more auctions going up every day. Why not pop over and take a look?
There’s also a wide variety of dog-oriented auction we’ve featured in the past, for anyone that’s interested. Handmade dog statue? Dogs in underwear? Here’s a little peek at past puppy fun.
Are you a mutt lover? Are you proud to call a mixed breed dog a family member? Let us know!
