It appears that September has the most celebrations of all the months. Some unique opportunities to celebrate your pets are listed below. You can follow this link to learn more about each of these celebrations as I will only comment on some of them.

• Happy Cat Month
• National Service Dog Month
• National Pet Insurance Month
• Responsible Dog Ownership Month
• Pet Sitter Education Month™
• September 1st – Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
• September 4th – National Wildlife Day (also celebrated in February)
• September 8th – National Iguana Awareness Day
• September 13th – National Hug Your Hound Day
• September 14th – National Pet Memorial Day
• September 17th – National Pet Bird Day
• September 19th – National Meow Like a Pirate Day
• September 22nd – 28th – National Dog Week. Last full week in September
• September 22nd – 28th – Deaf Dog Awareness Week. Last full week in September
• September 23rd – Dogs in Politics Day (also known as Checkers Day). Recognizing the dogs of politicians
• September 24th – World’s Largest Pet Walk
• September 26th – Remember Me Thursday® is an international social media awareness day that brings attention to the millions of adoptable pets waiting in shelters and remembers those pets who never got a second chance. Share your rescue pet using #RememberMeThursday
• September 28th – World Rabies Day

Happy Cat Month seems to me a misrepresentation of cat’s lives.  I have said many times that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a house cat! They have the best life because they do nothing unless they want to. Never have to clean up after themselves no matter how much of a mess they make.  Someone scoops their poop. Someone puts food in front of them daily. They get to bask in the sun all day. Take cat naps whenever it pleases them. I think every month is Happy Cat Month. Just saying.

So glad they have a National Service Dog month. This should help bring awareness to the roll dogs play in the lives of their handlers/owners. This month initially was to recognize the role Guide dogs play with their vision challenged owners. In 2008, Dick Van Patten had visited a facility in Palm Springs and was emotional about what he saw there. He decided to help raise funds for these training schools so more people could benefit from having a service dog. The month was called National Guide Dog Month at that time but eventually was transitioned to National Service Dog Month. Some service dogs begin as 8-week-old puppies and are trained from the beginning to give aid to their owners. Of these puppies some will never be service dogs because they cannot pass the rigorous tasks/training that are required. Those dogs can be repurposed for other tasks such as drug sniffing or rescue or police work or just a family pet. Some dogs are rescued and given a 2^nd chance at a great life of assistance and service. Training an older rescue dog can be challenging but rewarding as they start down the path of service. Please do not try to pass off your pet for a service dog. This creates more challenges for handlers who are truly in need of their service dog and his/her assistance. Some human conditions are easy to spot and understand the need for a service dog. When a service dog is being used for seizures or stressful situations others may question why a service dog is needed. They help their owners as much as a person who has physical disabilities and without their dog would not have the freedom to move about their communities independently. When someone puts a service vest on their pet, and it causes a disturbance in public it creates doubt in people’s minds about other dogs and their functions.  Find an organization that helps train or raise service dogs and donate to their cause so we can help more people get service dogs. There are programs for veterans, vision or hearing-impaired persons, diabetic or seizure afflicted persons, persons with physical disabilities, etc. Each organization gives a gift to individuals who are just trying to live life with as much joy and independence as possible. These service dogs are life-changing for the recipients.

Oddly enough, National Responsible Dog Owner Month is recognized in September. To me this should be recognized every month. We need pet owners to be responsible every month, 12 months of the year, for every year they own their pet. This is a lifetime commitment. Not until you are divorced, have kits, get new furniture, change jobs, etc. The excuses that shelters hear for why someone wants to surrender their dog is endless.  None of these excuses show responsible pet ownership. DO US A FAVOR – DO A PET ASSESSMENT TEST PRIOR TO PURCHASING ANY PET. After the test is taken, if it tells you that you should consider a goldfish because you are not home or too busy or do not want to walk a dog in the rain, sleet, or snow. Get a goldfish, please.

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN OR CONSIDERED PET INSURANCE? I have to say that September being Pet Insurance Month is something to have a conversation about. Especially if you are starting out with a young pet. The cost of care has increased along with everything else in our country. So often when discussing a trauma or illness situation I hear responses related to finances. Rarely does someone say, “No problem I have insurance.”  Unexpected things happen to young dogs and cats all the time. If you do not have a few grand sitting in your savings account for pet care then you should consider pet insurance. A monthly premium is much easier to budget for than the cost of care for an injured or sick pet. Talk with your veterinarian about pet insurance and what it can do for you.

September is also Pet Sitter Education Month. Patti Moran founded Pet Sitters International (PSI) in 1994. This organization has trained and provided continuing education for pet sitters for decades. They stress professional development and certification to bring this position to new levels when caring for other people’s pets. Many still use the kid down the street or family members that live close by when they must be gone from their homes. PSI wants you to consider other options to keep your furry friends happy while you are absent. Pets have become family so looking for the best care while you are gone or working creates opportunities for organizations such as PSI.

September 23^rd is known nationally as Dogs in Politics Day. It originally was called Checker’s Day. He gave a speech on this day in 1952 and it has been dubbed “Checker’s Speech.” He was being questioned about some of his campaign donations and during the speech he indicated that regardless of  what anyone said he was keeping one of the gifts he had been given. He was referring to the gift of a black and white dog his children had named “Checkers”. Now it is representative for all dogs that are in the spotlight with their owners who happen to be in politics. Many other furry friends have lived in the white house over the years and become famous.

Remember Me Thursday will be celebrated on September 26^th this year. This day promotes adoption of shelter animals and remembers those who never had the opportunity to be adopted. This is a great time to share your adoption story and raise awareness that shelter animals deserve forever homes also. Give that shelter dog or cat a second chance at life.

World Rabies Day will be celebrated on September 28^, 2024. This is a world event. It started in 2007 and continues to this day to raise awareness of the deadly disease and how it is transmitted. In America we have little risk of being bitten by a rabid animal and fortunately we have an effective antidote to stop the progression of the disease. Human cases of rabies amounts to less than 10 cases a year in our country. Animal to animal cases of rabies can be seen more frequently. The last known death of a human from rabies was in November 2021 when a child was bitten by a bat and the parents did not seek treatment. The child died within 3 months.  In Asia and Africa numbers of human deaths can be >50,000/year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most deaths are a result of dog bites to children under the age of 15. In those regions the access to human rabies antidotes is limited and costly. If you are ever traveling and see unattended dogs, my advice would be to not interact with them.

As we welcome fall, please continue your flea and tick prevention. Madison County Iowa needs to do prevention year-round anymore. We do not have enough snow to stop the deer ticks that transmit Lyme disease. The cases of Lyme disease in dogs have risen at our practice in the last 2 years related to our mild winters. It appears that Fall allergy season has started as well. We are getting many calls about itching feet and ears related to seasonal allergies. Be sure your flea and tick prevention are up to date before assuming it is allergies. One flea will bite a pet more than 50 times a day and can make the itch appear to be allergies. Enjoy the weather and beautiful color changes Fall brings. We are so blessed to have many places to take our pets and explore the great outdoors. 

HAPPY FALL!

Ready or not here comes the “RUFF”est day of the year for our furry friends. Our Independence Day is full of fun, food, and fireworks for our families. Our pets struggle immensely with the unpredictable loud noises and flashes in the sky. I have clients that can’t even get their dogs to go outside for fear of fireworks being set off at random times day and night. Noise phobias are real for many pets. Unfortunately for owners, the ability to comfort them is unobtainable. We have encouraged owners to get thundershirts. Put their pets in rooms with noisy televisions, blaring radios, white noise monitors, fans, etc. to drown out the loud fireworks. For some it can help but many pets continue to pace, pant, shake, and vocalize due to fear and anxiety. Please be considerate if you encounter people who do not share your love of fireworks. The terror and threat are real for some and therefore they struggle finding the joy in fireworks.

The month of July moves us into the last ½ of the year. Not certain how we got here already. These celebrations can be found at TimeToPet in the following link. https://www.timetopet.com/blog/your-complete-guide-to-pet-holidays

• National Lost Pet Prevention Month
• National Pet Hydration Awareness Month
• Dog House Repair Month
• July 1st – ID Your Pet Day
• July 4th – Independence Day – A ruff day for pets! The loud noise of fireworks can cause dogs to panic and sometimes run away. Keep your pets calm and safe!
• July 5th – Pet Remembrance Day
• July 10th – National Kitten Day
• July 11th – All-American Pet Photo Day.
• July 15th – National Pet Fire Safety Day
• July 16th – World Snake Day
• July 16th – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day
• July 21st – No Pet Store Puppies Day
• July 26th – National Dog Photography Day – UK
• July 27th – Aug 3rd National Feed a Rescue Pet Week
• July 31st – National Mutt Day (also in December)

We recognize that summer months come with needs for hydration but never knew that July was Pet National Hydration month. This seems like a no brainer but yet raising awareness never hurts. Reminding people to not leave pets in cars is another important safety tip. Maybe I should start a new pet holiday! Who knows – maybe there already is one. They call July “Dog House Repair” month as well. Seems we have a celebration for just about everything.

July 1^st is ID Your Pet Day. This is something everyone with a dog should consider. I have heard stories of old dogs running off after years of staying on property. I get asked, “Why?” If I had that answer I probably would not be writing blogs anymore. It goes along with the “Why do dogs eat poop?” Another question that has no easy answer. If your pet has a microchip that is permanent, you can prove they are yours and when scanned the number can connect you and your pet quickly. It is not costly and the number of stories we have heard of how pets have been reunited with owners even after years of separation is staggering. Consider microchipping your cats as well. Even indoor cats can be lost with fear of repair personnel or in a move to a new location. This chip is lifetime. Most are less than $50 and come with online registration so no matter where or when they are scanned that number can connect you with your pet. Some people fear their personal information is on the chip. That is not true. The number is placed into a Microchip Look Up online database which gives a number to call, and the specialists then make the connection. Please remember to update your information whenever you move or change phone numbers. We have had pets found in Iowa whose owner’s information still indicated they lived in California.

July 5^th is National Pet Remembrance Day. Let’s flood our social media posts with the pets that enhanced our lives during their time here on earth. I figure there is not a person on this planet whose life has not been touched by a special pet. That pet may have been large or small, furry or slimy, unique or common, but to that person it was life altering.

National Pet Fire Safety Day is July 15^th. This is such an important safety tip. Please get something posted on your entry doors indicating the number of pets and type of pets so if there ever is a fire and you are not home the firemen and firewomen are aware.

July 16^th is World Snake Day and Guinea Pig Appreciation Day. I feel now we do have a day for everything. I have been in practice for 36 years. I have never hidden the fact that I like pets with fur and feathers. The practice has a few reptiles that come through the door, but the staff know to have Dr Jim handle them. I have judged some pet shows in my days as a veterinarian and there have been some reptiles at those shows. Fortunately, since we are judging how the 4-H student handles their pet and their knowledge about their pet, I have been able to fulfill my obligation. Until I was in my 30’s, anytime I saw a snake on the road I would do the shimmy in my car seat. I can now see them and remain still. Slow progress!

Feed a rescue pet week is July 27^th – Aug 3^rd. One of the biggest expenses for shelters is the cost of food. We do a pet food drive every Christmas for our local Crisp program to help feed hungry pets. My guess is that there are hungry pets all year round. Could you find time to drop off food, litter, pets supplies, etc. to a local organization? If we all helped with this expense our local programs would greatly appreciate it. Every bit helps and you can spread joy and kindness into this world.

National Mutt Day is July 31^st. This day is celebrated on December 2^nd as well. It may also be known as National Mixed Breed Day. Years ago, every dog that was not a purebred dog was labeled as a mixed breed or mutt. Today most of the dogs we see are mixed breed dogs. With the trend of taking two purebred dogs and mating them together, we have created a whole new class of “mutts”. Many will be offended by my statement, but I am only pointing out that these “hybrid” mixed breed dogs are still mutts. The cost of these dogs has skyrocketed. I do feel that this trend has reduced some of the so-called genetic defects we see in purebred lines. When crossing the breeds you have the potential for a healthier dog. That is not to say they won’t have issues but in general we see less heart and joint problems at a younger age.

Whatever celebrations you have planned for this month please be aware that extreme heat can be hazardous to your pets. Make certain they have a cool place to retreat to and plenty of water to stay hydrated.