On the last day of a year, we suppose it’s natural to reflect back on how the previous 364 days treated us.

Some of us lost loved ones, others welcomed new life into the world. Some of us suffered set backs and disappointment, and some of us found our groove. A few of us discovered that it was through set backs that we grew.Perspective is everything.

We at National Purebred Dog Day choose to review 2017 with gratitude, and there are a few of you we would like to thank:

If you told a friend, colleague, relative, neighbor, or acquaintance about National Purebred Dog Day, thank you.  Awareness of what we’re trying to do – which is to preserve and protect our breeds through education while bringing balance to the national dialogue about choice and responsible dog ownership – is done one person at a time, and there is strength in numbers. When you shared a post or tweet, or mentioned May 1st and National Purebred Dog Day to someone who didn’t know about it, you became part of the solution;

If you posted a comment or picture in response to an article or Facebook post, thank you.  We are part of a community, and your personal experiences and opinions enriched us all;

If you spotted an error or typo, and pointed it out to us with humor, kindness, and patience, thank you.  Despite our best efforts, sometimes a fact will be wrong, or there will be another perspective to it, and at those times we count on you, the experts who own and/or breed our different breeds, to keep things accurate;

If you “bit your lip” from responding in kind to a snarky or offensive comment this past year, thank you. “Eating our own” never accomplishes anything of consequence, and it certainly doesn’t encourage learning, or foster an environment of community;

If you had a conversation with someone curious about your breed and were able to tell them about its heritage and purpose, thank you. We know it’s not easy answering the same question for the bazillionth time (just look at this picture of one of our dogs. Trust us, we know ); There are no better ambassadors for a breed (and for purebred dogs in general) than you and your dog;

If you purchased something on NPDD’s shop, thank you. Every dime spent in the shop goes right back into NPDD’s expenses which include hosting and maintenance of the website, prize money for the Fine Art Competition, the newsletter, and all the other tiny expenses that add up;

If you passed along material or information you thought would be of interest to NPDD readers, thank you!  Some of you donated breed books to us this past year, and it’s very much appreciated because we rely on a large number of different sources to generate information. If you have a spare publication, or no longer need one that you think is a fabulous source of information on your breed, especially if it’s a rare or uncommon one, we can probably use it. Contact us;

And finally, thank you for your support!

With this, our last post of 2017, we wish for you and your dogs a safe New Year’s Eve, and a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2018. We’ll be taking the day off tomorrow, but will return on January 2. See you next year!

Susi
National Purebred Dog Day