This year marks the 75th annual National Dog Week. It barks off this week running Sept. 19 through Sept. 25. 
This year’s theme is “Man’s Best Friend”, which is a great description of our relationship with dogs. It is a chance to get back on track and show how much you truly appreciate your dog this week.

National Dog Week was founded in 1928 by Captain Will Judy, a former publisher of Dog World Magazine and a dog judge. He created National Dog Week to educate all dog owners in their responsibilities to their pets and to their communities. The origin of “man’s best friend” is alleged to have come from a closing argument given by Sen. George Graham Vest. Vest was representing a man whose dog was shot and killed by a neighbor. In his closing statement, Vest gave what has become the famous “Tribute to the American Dog.” The speech was so powerful that it won the case. Here is an excerpt from this famous speech that truly shows how much a dog means to his owner, “The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.”  Definitely take the time out this week to give your dog the treatment that they deserve.

So this week do something extra nice for a dog. If you don’t own a dog, you can always make a donation to a no-kill animal shelter.