National Dog Week was established in 1928. It was the brainchild of Captain Will Judy, a veteran of World War I and an ordained minister who devoted his life to educating Americans on the spiritual bond connecting humans and canines. As the publisher of Dog World magazine, he used it to urge his readers to treat dogs with kindness and respect.
National Dog Week…has had the basic goal not so much of more dogs, but of better dog owners and better care for the dogs we already have.” – William Judy
Source: AKC, September 2015. Link.
Source: Animal History Museum. Link.
INSIGHTS: At 92 years old, National Dog Week has been through a variety of iterations and a few dedicated individuals to pick-up Will Judy’s vision. The pages about NDW history and its effect on culture in the Animal History Museum are interesting.