What are Mutts? Mutts are mixtures of two or more dog breeds. No two mutts are alike and because they adopt characteristics from each of the different breeds, mutts are unique not only in their looks, but their personalities as well.

The sad truth is, most dog lovers don’t embrace the diverse heritages of mutts. Did you know that mutts make up the greatest number of dogs euthanized every year?

National Mutt Day was created by Colleen Paige, in an effort to embrace, rescue and celebrate mixed breed dogs. She believes that “In every heart there is a hole and in every shelter there is love to fill it”. Shelters are filled with mutts because pure-bred dogs are considered more desirable pets.

Colleen established National Mutt Day to encourage people to adopt shelter dogs and wanted to educate the public on the value of mutts. Did you know that mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier, better behaved and actually live longer due to their mixed DNA? Mutts perform important jobs such as search and rescue, guiding the blind, assisting the handicapped, sniffing for bombs and drugs just as well as other pure-bred dogs, but they are often overlooked, because of their spotty heritage.

On National Mutt Day, find it in your heart to adopt a mutt from a shelter. Or, if that isn’t possible, volunteer to walk a dog, donate food, toys and other supplies to an animal shelter, or, at least make a monetary contribution to show mutts are lives worth saving.

Top 5 Ways Adopted Mutts Can Change Your Life

Adopting mutts from the shelter can be very rewarding and are actually healthy for you! Here are the top 5 ways pet dogs can change your life:

1. Dog owners have reduced stress and increased joy in their lives, reducing your risk of heart disease.
2. They keep you active and playing with mutts keeps you young.
3. Dogs give you more reasons to smile and increase your camera usage.
4. They reduce loneliness and give you instant social status and stardom in your neighborhood.
5. They expose you to more bacteria, boosting your immune system.

Famous Mutts in Hollywood

Did you know Old Yeller was hired from the Van Nuys, California Animal Shelter in order to raise awareness and educate the public about rescue dogs and mutts? In the movie, the 170 pound Labrador retriever, Mastiff cross-bred dog defends his family against a rabid wolf which leads to a tear-jerking finale in which the boy has to shoot his own now rabid dog. Do you remember how you cried?

The original and beloved Benji dog was one of the most famous mutts in Hollywood. A mixture of Cocker Spaniel, Schnauzer, Miniature Poodle and Border Terrier, Benji was adopted from the Burbank Animal Shelter in California as a puppy and ended up with a 14 year career in show business! In movies, Benji often performed heroic acts, conveniently being at the right place at the right time to help with a problem.

While some argue that mutts are a problem because of the unpredictable nature due to their unknown ancestry, others embrace their uniqueness and believe every dog is special and deserves a loving home!

We love dogs of all kinds and carry a vast line of personalized dog ornaments just for mutts as well as over 40 dog breeds!