March 23 is celebrated as the National Puppy Day through the U.S. Puppies are probably the most adorable animals on Earth. Thanks to their undying charm, innocent eyes, and timid limbs, they manage to capture our affection.

National Puppy Day is all about raising adoption awareness. Tons of homeless puppies land in the shelter every year. They are basically stuck in the rescue center throughout their life until they are adopted or euthanized.

National Puppy Day was founded in 2006 by Celebrity Pet & Home Lifestyle Expert and Author, Colleen Paige, who is also the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day (among many others).

The benefits of adopting a Puppy

a. Cheaper to Adopt

It's cheaper to adopt a pet than to buy one. Almost 6.5 million pets enter animal shelters every year. Each year 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized, simply because there isn’t enough space for new pets that land up in the shelter.

It costs lesser to adopt a pet than buying a new one from the pet-farm or Puppy mills. Adopt a pet from your local shelter or rescue. There are more than just dogs and cats that need homes, pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, and farm animals need homes too.

b. Prevent Puppy Mill

It helps to prevent puppy mills from producing pets meant for commercial selling. Pet farms are the breeding center of pets that put profit above the welfare of dogs. The pets in farms are generally poorly housed and ill-fed. Most animals from puppy mill land up in the shelter when they aren’t brought by anyone.

c. Awareness about Animal Rights

Adopting a pet raises the concern for shelter animals. People who aren’t aware of shelter animal will learn about them. Those who are unaware about the ill-treatment of animals will learn about the issues faced by innocent animals. This helps to place a new law or legislation for animal rights.

d. Happy Time

You get to spend lots of time playing and cuddling with a puppy. The recent scientific study revealed that spending time with your favorite pet helps to reduce stress and depression. Most old-age homes have started adopting pets to spend time with their elder members.

How to Celebrate National Puppy Day?

• Adopt a puppy from your local shelter, rescue or pure breed rescue organization.
• Are you prepared for puppy parenting? Start off on the right paw! Hire a professional that can help you.
• Donate money, food, and toys to your local shelter.
• Organize a peaceful demonstration in front of your community pet store that sells puppies.
• Write your Congressman and ask that he/she support the ban of Puppy Mills in your state.
• Assist an ill or elderly neighbor by walking their puppy.
• Have a puppy party and invite all your friends and their puppies!
• Join a fun, dog-friendly community online and post pics of your puppy for the world to ooh and ahh over!
• Host a community event to raise money for your local animal shelter.
• Volunteer at your local shelter and offer to walk a puppy or play with a puppy, clean cages or anything else they need help with.
• Have a portrait painted of your puppy to suspend the fleeting magic of puppydom.
• Buy your puppy a fun, new puppy toy.
• Give your puppy some fun exercise by taking him or her to puppy daycare.
• Brush your puppy to eliminate excess fur.
• Give your puppy a massage or holistic spa treatment.
• Get your puppy some leash training lessons.
• Buy your puppy a cute new outfit or fashionable collar and leash.
• Have a tee shirt made with your puppy's photo on it.
• Take your puppy to the beach.