— This September, Celebrate Responsible Dog Ownership With Us Without Leaving Your Computer! —
For the past eight years, hundreds of AKC clubs and dog organizations nationwide have been celebrating AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days by educating the public about the importance of responsible ownership. We congratulate those clubs and dog-loving groups on their outreach efforts and the profound impact it has had on thousands. This year, we are expanding that reach into interactive fun for you, your dog and your club by letting us know how you put responsible dog ownership into action!
This September, we invite dog lovers across America to share their “Acts of Responsible Dog Ownership” with us online as part of the inaugural “Virtual AKC RDO Days”. You or your club’s “act” can be something as simple as taking your dog for his regular walk or as elaborate as getting him health tested or microchipped. Do something for your own dogs or for dogs in your community as a whole, such as a donation to the local dog park. Pick up an extra poop along your walk, help someone find a responsible breeder, give your dog a good grooming or schedule his annual vet checkup.
Then, let us know what you or your club did. We want to amass at least 5,000 “Acts” in honor of AKC’s 5,000 clubs nationwide. There are several ways you or your club can let us know what you have done:
During September AKC will post the daily “Act of Responsible Dog Ownership” on Facebook where you can “Like” it or post your own on AKC’s wall. You can always “tweet” us at Twitter @akcdoglovers or send it to us via e-mail at communications@akc.org. If you’re feeling really creative, take a photo or video of your “Act of Responsible Dog Ownership” and share it with us on AKC’s YouTube channel or Flickr pages.
In conjunction with your act of responsible ownership, we encourage everyone to sign the AKC Responsible Dog Owner Pet Promise, a petition that brings the tenets of responsible dog ownership to life. You can also leave your “act” of responsible ownership in the comment section here. The “Pet Promise” is an oath that reminds both novice and veteran dog owners that raising a healthy dog is about more than just playtime and pampering. Find it at www.akc.org/rdod.
Don’t forget that AKC’s flagship event caps off the month on September 25th in Raleigh, North Carolina. If you’re a club still looking to host a “live” event, there is still time to register your event on our website and receive a free kit of materials. You can also find an event to attend in your area.
We hope that you will join us in celebrating AKC RDO Days this September in person as well as virtually. As always, thank you to our returning sponsors Invisible Fence® Brand and ADT Security Services as well as new sponsors Hill’s® Science Diet® Small & Toy Breed Dog Food and Motel 6 for making AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days possible. But most of all – we thank all AKC participants for their generous support of this initiative and for their dedication to promoting responsible dog ownership.
Sincerely,
Ron Menaker
Chairman
August Chairman’s Report