National Mutt Day

What day is National Mutt Day?

U.S. Dogs are special and there are so many national holidays to prove it. But unlike most of our doggy days, National Mutt Day, on July 31st, focuses on the mixed breed dogs who sometimes get overlooked.

What is considered a mutt?

Mixed breed dogs, or mutts, have more than 2 breeds in their genetic make-up, sometimes even more than 3 or 4!

Here are 4 great reasons to adopt a mutt.

#1: Home for a dog in need. You’re more likely to find a mutt in a shelter than in any pure bred puppy.

75% of dogs in shelters are mixed. There are usually 6 to 8 million pets entering shelters each year, but only about 4 million are being adopted, meaning anywhere from 50 – 60% of pets are adopted from shelters annually. That leaves about 3 million pets that are euthanized that could have been adopted.

When you rescue a mutt, you rescue a life.

#2: They live longer. Unlike purebred pups, mutts aren’t at risk for many genetic disorders that come from interbreeding. This means they’re more likely to live longer and have less expensive vet bills over the course of their life.

#3: You won’t support a puppy mill. Puppy mills are any large-scale breeding operation that prioritizes profit over the health and well-being of the animals, according to the ASPCA. Puppy mills are built around gaining profit from the highly valuable purebred puppies.

When you adopt a mutt from a shelter, you’re most likely supporting a local business that values the health and lives of pets, while also helping to end the reliance on puppy mill breeding practices.

#4: They’re one-of-a-kind dogs. Because they’re a mixed bag of breeds, you can be sure that your mutt is going to be unlike any other kind of dog out there.

Info courtesy of dogids.com