International Homeless Animals Day is a holiday that falls on the third Saturday in August every year. It’s a holiday with a very simple goal: to increase public awareness about the homeless pet population around the world so that adequate solutions for the issue of animal homelessness can be created.

According to the latest statistics, approximately 600 million cats and dogs are homeless, with about 70 million of them being in the United States alone. Of those 70 million in the U.S., only about 6 million will ever make it into a shelter for a shot at a better life.

Even fewer will ever get that shot at a forever home. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed, and this holiday is the first step in addressing the homeless pet problem in the world.

The History of International Homeless Animals Day

The International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) conceived and created International Homeless Animals Day in 1992. Although the holiday started out with just a whimper, it becomes more popular every year.

The ISAR takes time every year to run various events that highlight the problem of pet homelessness on this day. These events include adopt-a-thons, dog walks, and other special events.

Some Important Facts About Pet Homelessness

Below are just a few of the facts that we’ve learned about pet homelessness while researching International Homeless Animals Day. We hope the following points illuminate the problem of pet homelessness in the world and hopefully inspire people to do more of their own research on the subject.

• Less than 10% of all dogs will find a permanent home.
• The main reason animals end up in shelters is that the owners give them up, or animal control finds them on the street.
• Approximately one-fourth of all dogs that enter shelters are purebreds.
• Only 10% of the animals that end up in shelters have been spayed or neutered.

Observing International Homeless Animals Day

This holiday can be observed in a number of different ways. People can take the time to donate to a shelter or volunteer their time at a local shelter. They can ensure that their pets are spayed or neutered, and they can take the time to adopt a new furry friend.

Animal lovers can also spread the word about this holiday online using the hashtag #InternationalHomelessAnimalsDay on social media. If we all take the time to look out for those animals who currently live on the streets, perhaps we can prevent more and more of them from living a miserable life and then dying alone.