National Pet Day Today, April 11, 2026: Ten-ten-ten - the Dog that Found a Home

National Pet Day Today, April 11, 2026

Ten-ten-ten - the Dog that Found a Home

(October 10,2010 to October 10, 2020)

Dr Abe V Rotor

Gelyn and Ten-ten-ten October 10, 2015

 

                                Jemille and Ten-ten-ten in his later years, Lagro, QC

It was a quiet afternoon and guess who was knocking at the gate?
A starving dog, a mongrel, and what is there in him to gain?
Could you spare me a morsel? His eyes moist and sad, begging,
And food we gave, closed the gate, everything was quiet again.

The sun was setting down. We saw a shadow seeping through the gate,
He is still there, I told the children, and he was knocking again,
Could you spare me a place for the night? His moaning told us so,
Who are you, who is your master? Silence. I felt a little pain.

We took him in. It was a special date on the calendar that comes
But once, and never again, not in a lifetime or generation.
Tenth day, of the tenth month, of the first decade of the millennium
And we named this lost dog, Ten-ten-ten. What a celebration!

Home he found and a happy company with us and the neighborhood,
Call his name, you wish luck and fortune, how easy to remember!
And children tired from school come knocking to play with their friend,
Can we play with Ten-ten(-ten)? Heaven sent a dog to love and share. ~

Postscript: By chance or coincidence, Ten-ten-ten left us, also on a special date - October 10, 2020, old by any dog's age (7:1 ratio to human age), calm and apparently happy. In those 10 years he was with us, my children treated him as a member of the family. He still is, with his lasting memory. avr

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* National Pet Day is celebrated on April 11 each year to show love for pets and raise awareness about animal welfare. Founded by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige in 2006, the day encourages pet adoption and highlights the need for more homes for homeless animals. It is a time to appreciate the joy pets bring to our lives and to take action to help improve their conditions. Activities to celebrate include adopting a pet, volunteering at shelters, and sharing the joy of pets on social media. The Fact Site/Internet