Every year Give a Dog a Bone Week helps support the dogs of people experiencing homelessness and helps to shine a light on the support these animal provide people who are in times of need.
Author Christian Morgenstern once wrote, “Home is not where you live but where they understand you.” For many without the security of a permanent place to call their own, a home is found in the understanding heart of a loyal canine companion.
A person living on the streets often encounters the judgmental gaze of passersby, but in the eyes of their dog they see only devotion; and while they may hear demeaning remarks that bruise their spirit, they know that their dog will be there to listen to their troubles.
When is Give a Dog a Bone Week?
Give a Dog a Bone Week is recognized every August. In 2023, the pet awareness week is observed August 6 – 12, 2023.
Founded by Pets of the Homeless, the national non-profit organization asks that those with a passion for compassion make a contribution to a donation site in their community during this week.
Over 428 member collection sites throughout the United States will accept donations of pet food and supplies to give to food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
The Difference This Annual Event Has Made
Dogs can be a lifeline for a person who has little to cling to, and each year the barking buddies and purring pals of those in dire circumstances are honored with a week-long pet food drive that provides both nutritious meals for the four-legged friends of the homeless as well as sustenance for the public’s collective soul.
Pets of The Homeless has helped to treat 22,464 companion animals of the homeless and provided $2,797,944 in veterinary care, crates and pet food.
Genevieve Frederick, the organization’s founder, states, “Some of our volunteers take it to the streets and/or camps where the homeless congregate. It is a combined effort to continue year-round collections of pet food.”
Along with contributions of food and much-needed items, Pets of the Homeless also utilize monetary donations for veterinary care at free wellness clinics to pets of people living rough on the streets, as well as emergency veterinary care from coast to coast.
The following video offers a look at the work of Pets of the Homeless:
More Pet Holidays You Might Like
International Assistance Dog Week
International Homeless Animals’ Day
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