As animal lovers, every day is Dog Day for all of us at Paws For Hope.

But did you know last week officially marked International Dog Day? That’s right! And it’s not just a fun day to share cute dog pictures on the internet.

The event was actually established in 2004 by animal advocate Colleen Paige, who earmarked Aug. 26 as a day to encourage people to adopt their pet pups, rather than buying them from pet stores or breeders.

She chose the date to honour the anniversary of adopting her own first dog, Sheltie, as a 10-year-old girl.

It’s a story that resonates with us as an organization that’s had significant success in encouraging people to “adopt, not to shop,” when seeking a new family pet.

With your help, we were able to mount an eight-year advocacy campaign that led to the ban of pet sales in pet stores in Vancouver, Burnaby, Delta, Surrey, New Westminster, Victoria and Nanaimo.

Because of that work, countless dogs, cats and other pets in shelters around the region have since been adopted by loving families.