Days Until International Dog Day

About International Dog Day

August 26 was founded in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige, aiming to celebrate dogs and promote their adoption, particularly from shelters and rescue organizations, rather than commercial breeders.

Unlike several of the UN-designated observances on this list, International Dog Day originated from an individual advocate rather than a UN resolution, though it has since been widely adopted by animal welfare organizations internationally.

Estimates suggest dogs were domesticated from wolves at least 15,000 years ago, and quite possibly longer, making them humanity's oldest domesticated animal companion by most archaeological accounts.

Selective breeding since domestication has produced an unusually wide range of dog breed sizes and shapes, from small toy breeds to large working breeds, a level of within-species physical diversity unmatched by almost any other domesticated animal.

Selective breeding for specific working roles, from herding to guarding to companionship, has produced hundreds of distinct recognized dog breeds worldwide, a diversity the observance's messaging occasionally highlights alongside its adoption-focused core message.