Dog Day : The 20th Anniversary

Today is Dog Day.  Dog Day was established when Bear was born on September 1, 1995.  At the time we had Oppey,  Buddy & Jezebel -- Bear was the last in that long line of great Labs.  Rather than celebrating so many birthdays I declared September 1st as Dog Day.  The celebration has continued throughout the years, even after the incredibly sad loss of Bear.  It has become less a birthday celebration and more a day to honor all dogs and the place they share in our lives.  In spite of the name, the day is also for cats, indeed any pet, because they are all members of our families, and they all give us great joy and comfort.

Dog Day is a celebration so today I will remember Bear and Buddy and Oppey and Jezzie.  And I will both mourn and remember Blackie the Brown Dog who I lost in 2012, and my sweet Lucy who I just lost this past April. I will remember them all with love and gratitude for all they have given me.  

Blackie (the Brown Dog)

Lucy

Lucy was my last dog.  My new life is no longer suited to caring for large, rambunctious Labs.  But I now have the adorable Mister Pip, still a kitten but already a member of my family.

Mister Pip

So in honor of Bear, and in honor of all our fur-friends past and present, please celebrate a very happy Dog Day.