Dog birthday parties are the best, both for you and your pup. You get to pick out a fun toy or treat for them, and they, of course, get totally pampered. Sadly, most shelter dogs have never experienced this wonderful event. The folks over at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) decided to do something about that.
This August they celebrated Dogust, the official birthday for all shelter dogs who don’t have one. They got 100 doggie cookies, one for each of their pups, and handed them out. Most dogs were happy to receive a special treat, while others were a little confused about the cookie.

“A good amount of these dogs have probably never had a gourmet cookie before this moment,” BARCS spokesperson Bailey Deacon told The Dodo.
But after some coaxing and reassurance, all the dogs were able to enjoy their birthday gift. The shelter even live-streamed the celebration so everyone on Facebook could see how happy these shelter pups were to be getting some birthday love.
It’s Dogust 1st, the official birthday for all shelter dogs that have never known their birthday or lost it along the way. To celebrate our wonderful dogs, we’re throwing a birthday party! Our animal care staff is going to give every dog in the shelter (we have 100 residents today!) a gourmet, frosted cookie.This morning we were contacted by BARCS supporter Mary H., who wanted to celebrate this special holiday by purchasing a cookie for each of our dogs. With the help of our generous friends at Pet Valu – US, she did just that! She’s watching along with each of you to see this dream come true. ❤Also in celebration of Dogust 1st, dog adoptions for the entire month of August are just $20 which includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip and Baltimore City Pet License for city residents. Spread the word!Happy Birthday, pups! We love you.**Any dog who you see skipped in this treating process is on a special medical diet and will be getting a special treat after the Facebook Live broadcast!**
Posted by BARCS Animal Shelter on Tuesday, August 1, 2017
But it’s not just the dogs who get to have all the fun. Shelter volunteers are also planning celebrations for Catober, so stay tuned to see what they do for their feline friends!