Pepper wishes you a happy National Mutt Day

Pepper the beloved mutt photographed July 2015 near Palmyra, Michigan.

July 31 is National Mutt Day, celebrated “to raise awareness of the plight of mixed breed dogs in shelters around the nation and to educate the public about the sea of mixed breed dogs that desperately await new homes. Mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier, better behaved, they live longer and are just as able to perform the duties of pure bred dogs – such as bomb and drug sniffing, search and rescue and guiding the blind. There are millions of loving and healthy mixed breed dogs sitting in shelters, who are desperately searching for a new home.”

Our last dog Moose was a German Shepherd Dog/yellow labrador mix, and he was awesome.  Our current dog Pepper is a dalmation/Australian cattle dog mix, and she is just as awesome. We never felt the need to tout some made-up “designer dog” names like “shepherdador” or “dalmaAustracatadog” nonsense, just love them for the loyal, friendly, healthy, and smart mutts they have been.