National Puppy Day on March 23: How You Can Help Give Back to Puppies

Those that have cared for a puppy know how much attention and care they require, but they will also likely agree that they do more for us than we do for them. In honor of National Puppy Day on March 23, do something special to honor the adorable, sweet faced puppies that give unconditional love without expecting much in return. Whether you're donating time, money or material items, there are several organizations that could benefit from your kindness.

Canine Partners For Life

Canine Partners For Life trains companion dogs and service dogs for those with disabilities. Among other skills, the dogs are trained to help with rolling over in bed, going up and down stairs and opening doors. The dogs go through extensive training right from puppy-hood. In their first year they're in a volunteer puppy home and from ages one to two, they move into a Canine Partners for Life kennel to start the program. The dogs are matched up and trained specifically for their new partners. There are several ways to help including volunteering your time, donating goods and even by using a specific search engine that generates money to go toward the organization.

Charity Navigator Rating: Four out of four stars

Puppies Behind Bars

The dogs trained through Puppies Behind Bars are trained to become service dogs and explosive detection dogs and many of them go to wounded veterans returning from serving overseas. The puppies live for 16 months in the cells with their raisers, go to classes and for two or three weekends a month they stay with puppy sitters to experience the parts of the outside world they can't in prisons, including being around large crowds and getting used to the doorbell. At the end of that portion of the program, if they pass their training tests, they return to school. To help, you can donate directly to the program.

For more information, you can also read about the program on Oprah.com and see pictures on Time.com.

Charity Navigator Rating: Four out of four stars

Take Action Against Puppy Mills

A puppy mill, which is basically a large operation that breeds puppies for profit, focuses on money and not the health and well-being of the puppies in their care. Often, the animals are shoved in small, dirty spaces where they develop diseases and injuries and get no exercise, love or human interaction. Puppy mills over-breed dogs then kill them when they're no longer useful. At eight weeks, many are sold to pet shops, but because of behavior or health issues as a result of being in the puppy mills, many will not have a very good life if any life at all. Instead of being called puppy mills, operations will often refer to themselves as breeders. There are legitimate breeders and, in order to find them, it's important to do as much research as possible about the business and the person running it. For more information on how you can help stop puppy mills with very little effort, please check out the ASPCA "Help Fight Puppy Mills" page.

Sources:

National Puppy Day

Canine Partners For Life

Puppies Behind Bars

ASPCA: "Help Fight Puppy Mills"

Please note: Information and links are subject to change after publication of this article.