Each and every year, approximately 10 million pets are lost in the United States, and millions of those pets will end up in animal shelters. And only about 15% of those dogs that end up in shelters without tags are actually reunited with their families. And that’s just depressing.

Dogs are humankind’s best friends, so it’s a shame that so many of them end up alone in shelters and separated from their owners. Perhaps if more people knew about how often dogs are lost, then they would take the actions necessary to keep it from happening to their dogs.

Fortunately, there’s a holiday that attempts to raise people’s consciousness about this problem and that holiday is known as National Lost Dog Awareness Day. This is a day celebrated annually on April 23rd and hopefully raises the profile of the lost dog crisis in the U.S.

Facts About Lost Pets

Let’s take a quick look at some of the facts about lost pets that we’ve uncovered while doing the research for National Lost Dog Awareness Day.

• A family pet is lost every two seconds.
• Approximately 33% of all pets will become lost at some point during their lives.
• Only a third of pets with ID tags wear them all of the time.

Observing National Lost Dog Awareness Day

The first thing that a person can do to observe this holiday is to make sure that their own pet is protected. This can be done by them making sure that their dogs have dog tags and/or are microchipped.

That way, if they’re lost, they can be easily recovered. Another way to celebrate this holiday is by making sure that gates are secure and there’s a plan in place if their dog ever does become lost.

Another way to celebrate this holiday is by adopting one of the dogs that are in shelters and now need a new home. Take one of these dogs home and give them the family they deserve. And while a person is celebrating this holiday, they can use the hashtag #LostDogAwarenessDay to spread the word about it far and wide.