Happy Dogust!
August 2, 2023 6:16 AM Subscribe
Happy Dogust to shelter dogs of indeterminate birthday everywhere! FTFA:
Yes, it's a day late, but is it ever really too late to adopt a pet from a shelter?
My own "open-box dog" (as one of my sons calls him) came to us from Texas without a solid birthrate. The vet could only suggest that he was more than two years old, based on his teeth, so we used to celebrate on his "gotcha day" -- but I like this better.
Dogust, which takes place Aug. 1 each year, is a nationwide celebration for dogs whose birthdays are unknown. It’s been a holiday since 2008, when staff at the North Shore Animal League America of New York set out to ensure even dogs without official birthdays still get their own special day. “[It’s] the official birthday for all rescued puppies and dogs to celebrate their importance in our lives,” says Joanne Yohannan, North Shore Animal League America’s senior vice president of operations.
Yes, it's a day late, but is it ever really too late to adopt a pet from a shelter?
My own "open-box dog" (as one of my sons calls him) came to us from Texas without a solid birthrate. The vet could only suggest that he was more than two years old, based on his teeth, so we used to celebrate on his "gotcha day" -- but I like this better.
Cyrus is celebrated on on July 31 - adoptiversary pupcake - so it seems only right to make that a two day celebration going forward.
Our local shelters are brimming with good boys and girls at the moment, so if anyone has been considering getting a new best friend, now would be a great time to make the move!
posted by the primroses were over at 6:24 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Our local shelters are brimming with good boys and girls at the moment, so if anyone has been considering getting a new best friend, now would be a great time to make the move!
posted by the primroses were over at 6:24 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
We intended to adopt a middle-aged dog. We thought Teddy was six. Once we got him home and I took a closer look at his teeth, I questioned if he was six. The next day the Vet confirmed he was probably 3. That was in 2015.
posted by COD at 6:29 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by COD at 6:29 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Our first dog came from a shelter, but with an approximate birthdate known. It was almost the same as my partner's birthday, so we just celebrated those together. Our current dog came to us with completely unknown age and history, so we decided to continue the tradition of having the dog share my partner's birthday, which both humans and dog enjoy in their separate ways.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:53 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:53 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Baby Girl, our biggest dog (but middle dog in age) was adopted from foster care. They thought that she was feral, so there's no telling when she was born. (Our other two dogs were adopted from their mothers' owners, so we've got good ideas how old they are.) Baby's getting a bath today, which she'll hate. The other two got baths yesterday. (Pixel first, then Perci, because she didn't want to be left out.)
posted by Spike Glee at 6:59 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Spike Glee at 6:59 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
awww, I'd never heard of this, and now I have, and it's terrific and makes me very happy. that's all. thanks, wenestvedt.
posted by martin q blank at 7:03 AM on August 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by martin q blank at 7:03 AM on August 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
We know approximate ages of all three of our rescue pups, so have specific birthdays chosen for each of them. But I think maybe they should get an extra Dogust birthday anyway, because they're (of course) the best. Dog tax.
posted by LooseFilter at 7:11 AM on August 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by LooseFilter at 7:11 AM on August 2, 2023 [9 favorites]
Every dog has his day. And it’s August 1st.
posted by Phanx at 7:20 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 7:20 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
Cute! We celebrate our good girl’s fake birthday on New Year’s Day, but I like this too. Maybe next year she gets two birthdays!
posted by third word on a random page at 9:19 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by third word on a random page at 9:19 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
How delightful! I used to foster dogs and somehow hadn’t heard about this—if I ever can again, it’ll be nice to know I can give them a birthday.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:07 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:07 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Aw yay! One of our dogs has a “birthday” but I think it’s just based on the shelter estimating him at six months old when he came in. Our older dog is a complete mystery; the shelter guessed 9yo, but the vet thought he seemed more spry than that. Still, definitely not young. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lives to 20 fueled on spite. The boys get along okay :)
I love adopting older dogs, and I’ll try to continue doing so in the future (pending my husband’s feelings about that). Old Hux had been in the shelter for 3+ months (not just because he was old, but because he was a very rude weirdo), and it felt so good to be able to promise him a forever home.
posted by obfuscation at 10:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [8 favorites]
I love adopting older dogs, and I’ll try to continue doing so in the future (pending my husband’s feelings about that). Old Hux had been in the shelter for 3+ months (not just because he was old, but because he was a very rude weirdo), and it felt so good to be able to promise him a forever home.
posted by obfuscation at 10:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [8 favorites]
Oh, we just celebrate their Gotcha days - those are real, known dates, and they’re very special to us!
posted by obfuscation at 10:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by obfuscation at 10:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
Oh, we just celebrate their Gotcha days - those are real, known dates, and they’re very special to us!
We do this as well, since all dogs deserve extra celebrations. So ours gets an arbitrary "birthday" and also the adoption anniversary.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:13 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
We do this as well, since all dogs deserve extra celebrations. So ours gets an arbitrary "birthday" and also the adoption anniversary.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:13 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Cute! We celebrate our good girl’s fake birthday on New Year’s Day, but I like this too. Maybe next year she gets two birthdays!
Shouldn’t your dog get 7 birthdays for each of yours?
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:18 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Shouldn’t your dog get 7 birthdays for each of yours?
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:18 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Anything that gets people to celebrate the joy of their goobers, I'm all for! The 18.5 year old is snoozing about 10 feet to my right on today's winning of the bed lottery - he has 5 to choose from here in the office
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:29 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:29 AM on August 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
I’m going to need more dog pictures. Thank you.
posted by mochapickle at 10:37 AM on August 2, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 10:37 AM on August 2, 2023 [6 favorites]
mochapickle if you use instagram, my IG is... largely dogs
posted by obfuscation at 10:50 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by obfuscation at 10:50 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Same as obfucation, my IG is just pix of my (dear) psycho nutjob.
posted by maxwelton at 10:58 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by maxwelton at 10:58 AM on August 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
Shouldn’t your dog get 7 birthdays for each of yours?
Best idea I've ever heard. So we have Dogust, Gotcha Day, perhaps one birthday per equinox and solstice, and a floating birthday for deployment as needed.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best idea I've ever heard. So we have Dogust, Gotcha Day, perhaps one birthday per equinox and solstice, and a floating birthday for deployment as needed.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 11:08 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
3/10 is my tiny bug's adoptiversary.
We celebrated Dogust like we celebrate most days: she started barking for her breakfast around 6:30AM. Like a little chihuahua reveille.
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:01 PM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
We celebrated Dogust like we celebrate most days: she started barking for her breakfast around 6:30AM. Like a little chihuahua reveille.
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:01 PM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Here is my dog tax.
Rex is my first, and last for now since he’s very selective with his dog friends, foster dog. He came to live with us 5 yrs ago on the first day of summer vacation, which in 2018 was June 29th, and then I officially adopted him in October 2018. We celebrate him on the first day of summer vacation, June 29, the entire month of October and now we’ll add in August 1st as another day for him!
Last fall we got him a kitten to keep him humble and I’m just realizing now that we probably missed celebrating her first birthday.
posted by Ceridwen at 3:55 PM on August 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
Rex is my first, and last for now since he’s very selective with his dog friends, foster dog. He came to live with us 5 yrs ago on the first day of summer vacation, which in 2018 was June 29th, and then I officially adopted him in October 2018. We celebrate him on the first day of summer vacation, June 29, the entire month of October and now we’ll add in August 1st as another day for him!
Last fall we got him a kitten to keep him humble and I’m just realizing now that we probably missed celebrating her first birthday.
posted by Ceridwen at 3:55 PM on August 2, 2023 [5 favorites]
We adopted our old hound dog at the height of my Hamilton fixation. She is named Dear Theodosia after Theodosia Burr Alston. Her “birthday” is June 21st, just like the real Theodosia. I love the idea for an official shelter dog birthday, though. I may use it next time we get a new pup!
posted by msali at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by msali at 10:01 PM on August 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Shouldn’t your dog get 7 birthdays for each of yours?
And if they were born on Leap Year Day? Would they get 14? Numerate or not, what dog would argue with that?
posted by y2karl at 11:45 PM on August 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
And if they were born on Leap Year Day? Would they get 14? Numerate or not, what dog would argue with that?
posted by y2karl at 11:45 PM on August 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Exsqueeze me, I meant 28.
Who's innumerate now, Moses? /Edward G. Robinson?
posted by y2karl at 12:05 AM on August 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Who's innumerate now, Moses? /Edward G. Robinson?
posted by y2karl at 12:05 AM on August 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
And what if they could get a choice between pier jumping or entering a hot dog eating contest? No contest there. In fact, why aren’t they allowed to compete in the latter? What dog wouldn't want to do that?
posted by y2karl at 12:15 AM on August 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by y2karl at 12:15 AM on August 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
97 out of every 10 dogs, I am sure, agree with me.
posted by y2karl at 6:35 PM on August 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 6:35 PM on August 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
This makes me happy. We celebrate on Gotcha Day but I think we may have a party on Aug 1 as well. We were in the height of covid and the thought of adopting an unknown animal was soooo outside my comfort zone. I came so close to stopping the process and I thank the universe every day that I didn’t. I can honestly say that my sweet Howard is one of life’s best gifts to me. So he gets two celebrations.
posted by pearlybob at 2:00 AM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by pearlybob at 2:00 AM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
« Older If you don’t make predictions, you’ll never know... | This game makes me feel very seen. Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 6:23 AM on August 2, 2023 [7 favorites]