While there might be a dedicated day for everything now, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth celebrating! One of the most meaningful and often overlooked days out there is International Guide Dog Day, which is celebrated on the last Wednesday of April every year. Guide dogs completely transform the lives of their owners, and not every dog has what it takes to be a guide dog.
With everything these life-changing dogs offer, it’s well worth having a day dedicated to celebrating these awesome pups!
When Is International Guide Dog Day?
International Guide Dog Day falls on the last Wednesday of April every year. This means that International Guide Dog Day will always fall on a Wednesday, but it won’t fall on the same calendar day each year.
For 2023 International Guide Dog Day falls on April 26th, while in 2024, International Guide Dog Day falls on April 24th! Other holidays like this include Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.
The 4 Ways to Celebrate International Guide Dog Day
If you’re looking to celebrate International Guide Dog Day, there are a few different ways you can do so. We’ve highlighted four ways you can celebrate and take note of this special day down below.
1. Educate Yourself
One of the best and most effective ways to celebrate International Guide Dog Day is to learn a little more about guide dogs and their history. For starters, did you know that guide dogs have been around for thousands of years? That’s a lot of history to go through, and we’re sure there’s a thing or two you don’t already know!
2. Donate Your Time or Money
There are plenty of organizations that support guide dogs out there, and they can all use a little more support and attention. If you’re busy on International Guide Dog Day, you can send them a check or give them money in a different way, but if you don’t have the extra money, you can reach out and see how you can donate your time.
These organizations will appreciate you reaching out and helping in any way you can. And if you can’t find an organization specifically supporting guide dogs, you can support other groups that help animals or people with disabilities.
3. Start a Fundraiser
Giving some of your own money is great, but if you can combine this with the donations of others, it’s even better! Fundraisers take a little more work, but they also produce far more benefits. If you can organize a fundraiser, it’s a great way to celebrate International Guide Dog Day.
4. Consider a Career Change Dog
A career change dog is a dog that started training to become a guide dog but didn’t make it all the way through. Tons of dogs fail out of this program each year, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t great pups.
They might not have what it takes to be a guide dog, but they do have what it takes to be an extremely loving and loyal companion. Another perk of adopting a career change dog is that they already come with a ton of training.
Conclusion
Guide dogs are a life-changing part of some people’s lives, and there’s just not enough of them out there. It’s important to take the time to celebrate and appreciate those that are, and with a little more training, money, and time, we can work on training more guide dogs so we can continue to completely transform some people’s lives!
Featured Image Credit: SasaStock, Shutterstock
