Celebrating the Unbreakable Bond: Dogs as Companions and Our Responsibility
FOUR PAWS South Africa marks International Dog Day with a call for compassion, commitment, and responsible pet ownership.
Cape Town, 20 August 2025 – As the world prepares to honour our four-legged friends on International Dog Day this 26 August, FOUR PAWS South Africa is spotlighting the deep companionship dogs offer—and the importance of being responsible guardians in return.
Whether curled up at our feet or standing loyally by our side, dogs bring joy, comfort, and unconditional love into our lives. But this special relationship comes with responsibility. This International Dog Day, FOUR PAWS is urging South Africans to not only celebrate their dogs, but to reaffirm their role in providing safe, loving, and cruelty-free homes to the animals they care for.
What Responsible Pet Ownership Means:
- Providing clean water, proper food, shelter, and veterinary care.
- Spaying or neutering your pets to prevent overpopulation and suffering.
- Ensuring pets are kept safe, not left to roam or chained for extended periods.
- Understanding the emotional needs of your dog—companionship, love, and mental stimulation.
- Committing to your dog’s well-being for their entire life.
Beyond physical care, dogs need mental enrichment, companionship, and protection from harmful environments. Abandonment, abuse, and backyard breeding remain serious challenges in South Africa, but they can be prevented through education and community-led solutions.
FIVE Ways to Celebrate International Dog Day Responsibly:
- Adopt, don’t shop – Choose to give a rescue dog a loving home.
- Vaccinate and sterilise your pets to prevent unnecessary suffering.
- Volunteer at a local animal shelter or support a mobile outreach clinic.
- Speak out against animal cruelty and report neglect or abuse.
- Celebrate your dog’s life – share your story using #InternationalDogDay and tag @FOURPAWSSA.
For more information, visit our website www.four-paws.org.za
/ENDS
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za