Celebrating National Dog Day in Jersey City
National Dog Day, celebrated annually on August 26th, is a special day dedicated to our beloved furry friends. Founded by Colleen Paige, an animal welfare advocate and pet lifestyle expert, her goal was to help raise awareness about the countless dogs needing rescue from municipal animal shelters and rescues. On this day, we celebrate all breeds, both mixed and pure, and pay tribute to family dogs, therapy dogs, and dogs of service, ranging from military to policing. There are numerous ways to participate and show your love for dogs, from opening your heart and home to a dog in need, supporting local pet stores, or hosting a donation drive. Check out the list below to discover various ways to get involved and celebrate your furry companion here in Jersey City.
Shelters/Rescues to Support
Local animal shelters and rescues rely on the community to help them carry out their mission to save homeless animals in need. If you want to adopt or open up your heart and home to a dog in need, check out the shelter and rescues below local to Jersey City. Each of these incredible organizations works tirelessly to help rehome dogs. And if you’re not ready yet to make a long-term commitment, fostering is a great way to get involved in opening up more spaces for shelters and rescues to continue their life-saving work. If there isn’t a dog that fits your family and lifestyle, you can also check out Petfinder, an online, searchable database of animals who need homes. It is also a directory of nearly 11,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Liberty Humane Society
Liberty Humane Society is the municipal shelter for Jersey City. Its mission is to foster a community of compassion and respect and give animals in need a chance at a lifelong, loving home. Recently, the shelter was at capacity and had sent out a plea for the community to assist with finding foster homes or adopting their larger dogs. The larger dogs in a shelter always have the most difficulty finding a home, and the shelter was at an influx. Many people saw social media posts, submitted their applications to foster and adopt, and helped create space for incoming dogs. If you want to support your local animal shelter, visit their website and learn how to get involved.
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See Spot Rescued
Founded in 2011, See Spot Rescued is a nonprofit organization based in Jersey City advocating for at-risk dogs and helping them find their ideal, forever family through a careful vetting process. They are staffed entirely by volunteers passionate about rescuing dogs who dream of finding loving homes where they can rest their heads and hang up their leashes. They offer fostering, adoption, and volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in getting involved. To learn more, click here.
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Wise Animal Rescue
Wise Animal Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of dogs of all breeds. They are a network of caring people with a grassroots approach working towards a world where no dog is neglected, abused, or homeless. Click here to learn more about their volunteer opportunities and to check out their dogs for adoption.
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Local Pet Stores to Spoil Your Pup!
Fussy Friends – 148 Newark Ave & 458 Central Ave
Fussy Friends is a local pet supply store in Jersey City Heights and Downtown. You can spoil your pup here with treats, a new outfit, and more! This store does a lot to give back to their local animal shelter and rescue by assisting with adoptions and donating supplies.
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Hound About Town – 17 McWilliams Pl. & 218 Montgomery Street
Hound About Town opened up their doors through the inspiration of their rescue dog, Wiley. The owners, Elizabeth and Donovan Cain, are passionate about maintaining their pup’s happy and healthy lifestyle, and this has helped them learn a lot about how they can assist other pet owners by carefully researching natural dog food products.
Get Creative and Have Fun!
If you’re looking for a creative way to celebrate National Dog Day with your friends and family, check out the list below! There are many fun ways to make this day the best for your pup and the community of dog owners.
- Gather your family, friends, and neighbors and organize a pack walk through your local park. This is a great way to build a sense of community for pet owners and allow your dog to make friends! Always ensure responsibility by having dogs on leashes and have a designated person who is excellent at interpreting dog behavior in case any dogs are uncomfortable. Also, bring poop bags, water, and an extra leash for safety!
- Depending on space, creating an outdoor or indoor agility course for your dog is a great way to celebrate. You can get creative and have fun using everyday objects such as cardboard boxes, broomsticks, and buckets to create tunnels and obstacles for your dog to master. Agility courses provide great mental and physical stimulation for your dog. And if you’re pup has some friends, why not invite them over for a playdate?! Check out this website to start building your DIY agility course.
- Creating a fundraiser benefiting local shelter dogs is a great idea if you want to give back on National Dog Day. You can start an in-kind fundraiser by asking for items to be donated to a shelter or rescue from their wishlist or a monetary fundraiser, allowing a shelter to use funds where they are needed. You can access a shelter or rescue wishlist by checking out their wishlist, but items such as Dog food, crates, kongs used for enrichment, and bedding are always in need.
Did You Know?
- An adult dog has 42 teeth. Puppies have 28
- Dalmatian puppies are born pure white. They develop spots as they grow
- America has the largest dog population in the world
- Humans have kept dogs as pets for more than 12,000 years
- A dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times stronger than the average human
- Your dog could be left or right-pawed
- Yawning is contagious — even for dogs. Research shows that a human yawn can trigger one from your dog. And it’s four times as likely to happen when it’s the yawn of a person your pet knows.
Check out American Kennel Club for more fun facts and resources for dog training, behavior, and more!
How are you celebrating National Dog Day? We love hearing from you! Tag us in your photos as you celebrate your pup on their special day in Jersey City.
Author: Arati Patel
Arati is a professional immersed in the environmental and animal welfare field. In her free time, she enjoys walking and spending time with shelter dogs, exploring the outdoors, and always ready to find a new coffee shop. A born and raised Jersey City local, she considers herself a life-long learner who is ready to write and craft inspiring stories to share with everyone!
