Celebrate National Puppy Day with adoption, volunteering, fostering

SALT LAKE CITY — National Puppy Day is March 23, and Best Friends Animal Society is calling all dog people to celebrate the holiday worth celebrating.

Celebrating puppy love doesn’t have to mean making a commitment and adopting one. You can celebrate with your own furry friends, volunteer at a local shelter, or even temporarily foster a pup.

Wednesday, Frankie Brummett from BFAS brought Bilbo Barkins, a very good border collie mix, to KSL TV to find a loving home for him. Bilbo is just over one year old and described as “an out and about kind of gentleman.”

Bilbo showed off his skills — he is very good at sitting. He has been spending time in a foster home, where he got along well with the families other dogs and cats. But it’s time for him to find a furever home.

“He gets along with other dogs, people, cats, everything. He loves everybody, but he loves adventure most of all,” Brummett said.

Bilbo was recently neutered, so he was crowned in the cone of shame, but he used it to his advantage as a place to save a bit of extra peanut butter for later. He gets the luxury of on-demand peanut butter for one more week before he is free from the cone.

Brummett said this is one of the may benefits of adopting a rescue pet.

“We recommend adopting from a shelter or a rescue,” she said. “You’re gonna have better luck because usually they’re gonna be vaccinated, neutered, spayed, maybe microchipped.”

BFAS is starting a local adoption campaign, encouraging everyone to go to a local shelter to adopt or foster, or even just say hi and give some attention to the deserving good boys and girls. There are many opportunities to contribute to the no-kill mission even if you cannot adopt.

Local shelters often offer a foster program, where anyone can take a pet home for some time without committing to adoption, a great way to see if you are ready to adopt or just to give a pup a vacation from the shelter. Shelters and the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary also accept volunteers to help out. With Best Friends, volunteers can offer help in person or from the comfort of their own homes.

A convenient and easy first step is to sign up for mobile alerts. Best Friends will send a text or email about time-sensitive opportunities to support lifesaving legislation in your area.

There are action groups around the country that anyone can join. These groups meet occasionally to discuss opportunities and progress in the lifesaving efforts in the local community. You could also simply sign a petition for a cause you support, or even start one through Best Friends. Petitions are easily shareable on social media, which Best Friends said is a truly effective way to make a difference.

There is even an entire advocacy toolkit that Best Friends offers, which goes into depth on everyday ways to make a difference and is free for anyone to download.

Donations can be very helpful as well, whether this is a cash offer or custom buying a toy to make a puppy’s day. More ways to contribute to the no-kill efforts for homeless pets in your community can be found on the Best Friends Animal Society website.