Dogs are man’s best friend, and just like everything we hold near and dear to us, August 26 is the day that has been set aside to celebrate our canine comrades. The day was first celebrated in 2004 by Collen Paige, a pet and family lifestyle expert, as National Dog Day. Since then, the day has grown in popularity and is now celebrated throughout the world as International Dog Day. The day is set aside as a reminder to the public to rescue dogs that are looking for a home and to treat canines of all breeds equally.

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Paige started celebrating the day in order to mark the occasion on which she and her family adopted a dog called Sheltie. The dog was 10-years-old by then. Paige has also introduced other days of celebration for pets like National Wildlife Day (September 4), National Cat Day (October 29), and National Puppy Day (March 23).

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Some major celebrities have also joined in the celebrations, like Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, who shared a picture of her pet dog on Twitter to mark the day:

The Dallas Stars have also shared a picture of their goaltender Scott Wedgewood with his dogs:

Pixar, the animation studio created by Steve Jobs, has also shared a picture of all the dogs that have appeared in their movies throughout the years:

The Delhi Police have taken to Twitter to acknowledge the contribution of their K9 squad to law enforcement:

National Dog Day also has a website of its own, which states, “Our mission is to help galvanise the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledge family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort”.