National Mutt Day is a holiday which falls on July 31^st and December 2^nd and celebrates mixed breed dogs. It is also an unofficial holiday that proclaims that these dogs are as special as their pure-bred counterparts and should be afforded the same love, affection, and respect.

This day should also serve as a reminder that there are millions of mixed breed dogs in shelters all over the United States who are just waiting for a family to take them home and love them.

An Brief History of Dogs

Scholars originally believed that dogs come from wolves that were domesticated approximately 12,000 to 15,000 years ago in the Middle East but new evidence has caused that theory to change.

The current theory is that wolves were domesticated in Northern Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe about 35,000 years ago. Scientists believe that wolves were attracted to human camps because of the leftover food scraps they could scrounge. Some of the gentler wolves came even closer to human beings and eventually became pets.

Over several generations, the wolves began to transform themselves and eventually become domesticated canines. From that time on, humans began crafting dogs through selective breeding into one of the many hundreds of dogs breeds that are available today.

The History of National Mutt Day

This holiday was created by Colleen Paige – an animal welfare advocate & pet and family lifestyle expert – in 2005. to shine a light on the problem of mixed breed dogs being abandoned and eventually euthanized because of over-breeding.

So she created this holiday, a holiday which is celebrated on both July 31st and December 2nd so that everyone will understand these dogs not only need to be saved but they also needed to be embraced and celebrated as well.

8 out 10 dogs in American dog shelters are mixed breeds. That’s because pure breeds are adopted relatively quickly because that is generally what people are looking for when adopting a dog and the fees for obtaining the pure breed dogs are significantly lower than if there were purchased at a pet store.

Puppy Mill Facts

• Half a million puppies are born in puppy mills and sold to pet stores
• Almost 100% of puppies in pet stores are from puppy mills
• About 99% of pet store puppies have parasites
• There are almost 40,000 pet stores in the United States
• Puppy mills can make over a quarter of a million dollars a year selling puppies

Why Are Mixed Breed Dogs Awesome?

• On average, mixed breed dogs have longer lifespans that purebred dogs
• Mixed breed dogs generally have better overall health, too
• Mixed breed dogs have a unique appearance
• Mixed breed dogs are generally less expensive than purebred dogs

Celebrating National Mutt Day

The absolute best way to celebrate National Mutt Day is to find a way to help many of the mixed breeds dogs living in the world today. You can give shelters that house them money or volunteer your time, or you can simply adopt one of these animals.

You can also chronicle your efforts to help mixed breed dogs by posting on social media using the hashtag #NationalMuttDay. And if you just so happen to have a mixed breed dog of your own, then be sure to show it some extra love and affection on National Mutt Day.