Tuesday 11 April is National Pet Day, and we’d like you to help us celebrate by sending us images of your pets.  

Why National Pet Day?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US has been a partner in research to determine the physical and mental benefits of having a pet. Not only can they steal our hearts, but they also contribute to overall cardiovascular health by lowering cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.

National Pet Day was founded in 2006 to celebrate the joy pets can bring to us. It was also a good way to draw attention to the ongoing needs of many pets of all kinds waiting in shelters to be adopted. National Pet Day originally started in the US but expanded internationally and pet lovers now mark the day in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Australia, Spain and many more nations.

Celebrities have also taken up the cause and the day has been promoted by Taylor Swift, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Fallon and Carrie Underwood among others.

Over to you

If you are a pet lover and would like to share images of your pet, please send them to dialogue@durham.ac.uk by Friday 24 March.

We will feature your furry friends in our April edition of Dialogue magazine.

Ready, set, fetch!