Help us celebrate International Dog Day! Yes, August 26th is International Dog Day. A day in which we all celebrate our canine friends. Regardless of the age, breed, or sex. They’re all beautiful in their own way and the happiness that they bring is immeasurable.
First and foremost, let me just mention that not that recently we at IndieGala celebrated the cats in all of their glory. Indeed. My colleague here at IndieGala (the one and only Italian Guy) already did a great article about them. The feline friends of ours. Our purrfect, furry friends are also our household companions. That’s right. The Italian Guy’s article focused on some of the most iconic cats in video games and you can check out that article here. You’re welcome.
My International Dog Day Appreciation Starts With Loki
Everyone, I’d love you to meet Loki. He’s my 12-year-old English Cocker Spaniel and he’s just adorable. He’s actually a rescue dog, but not from a regular dog shelter. Back in May 2019, I found him by a dumpster. I was on my way home from work, and there he was in the spring rain. Abandoned by his previous owner, hungry and scared. Hey, he even had his collar on when I found him. So I put him in a cab and brought him home. The next day I took him to the vet, (gave him a nice grooming session too) and found out quite a bit about him. For one, he’s got pedigree. Yup, he was a show-dog back in the day and I even got a full genealogy chart of his family tree to prove it. I’m not kidding.
Secondly, he was abandoned by not just 1, but by 4 different owners before. Third, one of his previous names was Bruno, but I renamed him LOKI. Because Loki is awesome, and as you may already know… I love that Marvel character.
And lastly, although quite old (and living on the street for some time), he was in excellent health when I found him. So, now he’s mine and despite his advanced age… Can still charm a poodle in the dog park. But I’m glad I took him. I wanted a dog so bad (never owned anything bigger than goldfish before). And I’m also glad he’ll get to spend his twilight years loved and appreciated.
So there. That’s the short story about my good boy Loki. But I’d love to know the story behind your dogs. Share them with us. We’d love to know all about them. Show us your good boys and girls.
International Dog Day And Cool Doggy Video Games
We have plenty of those here. Video games with dogs in them I mean. PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay is always a good and fun idea. It’s available for purchase here, and hey. I already devoted an entire article about the franchise. Check it out here.
Paws and Claws: Pampered Pets is a super fun game that’s also available here at IndieGala. And so is My Universe – Pet Clinic Cats & Dogs. Just click here to get it. Pixel Puzzles Ultimate – Puzzle Pack: Dogs is for all of the fans of jigsaw puzzles out there and it’s available here as well.
But which movies go well with this article? Here are some of our finest 5 flicks. But we’d love to know yours as well. Don’t be shy. We’d love to know your favorite dog movies.
Isle of Dogs
One of Wes Anderson’s finest movies. And the only one on this list that has stop-motion technology in it. But yeah. It’s a great movie filled with dogs. Set in Japan, the movie follows one boy’s journey to find his lost dog. Not to mention it’s filled to the brim with a long list of amazing actors. Something that’s become synonyms with a West Anderson project. From Bryan Cranston to Edward Norton. And yes, Frances McDormand, Greta Gerwig, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Ken Watanabe and even Yoko Ono are in it. It’s a great movie nonetheless. Not only if you love dogs that is. Watch it if you’re a fan of Wes Anderson too.
Fun fact: The five main dogs, Chief, Rex, King, Duke and Boss, all have names that mean some kind of “leader.”
Cruella
Cruella is the most recent movie on this list. And much like the title suggests, it’s an origin story about one of Disney’s most iconic villains. Cruela De Vill. Played by Emma Stone, we see the rise of Estella Miller and her eventual transformation to Cruella De Vil. From her early childhood, all the way to adulthood. Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser and Mark Stong are on supporting role duties. And despite the length (and the many flaws) Cruella turned out to be a pretty watchable live-action movie. Cruella’s love-hate relationship with dalmatians starts here, and it’s up to you to see it.
Fun fact: Glenn Close, who played the first live-action Cruella DeVil in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000), serves as executive producer for this movie.
Marley And Me
One of the most wholesome and wonderful movies on this list. It’s also a movie that’s inspired by real-life events. And a real-life dog too. Marley of course. But the movie is about Marley and the joy, purpose and excitement that he brought to one family. He’s one hell of a dog though. Mischievous, naughty and a handful for everyone. But he also served as inspiration for the book that inspired this movie too. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston are in the lead roles, and yes. It deserves to be on your watch list. It’s a good movie.
Fun fact: Owen Wilson’s real-life parents played his parents in the movie. His mother’s biggest problem was remembering not to call him Owen.
Beethoven
Another great movie. And a movie about another great dog. Yes, I’m talking about St. Bernand’s Beethoven and one of my favorite movies from my childhood. Named after Ludwig van Beethoven, this bundle of joy will become the unlikely target of the town’s veterinarian. And yes. I put this family comedy here because it’s one of the 90’s finest. With a great cast and the cool direction from Brian Levant, Beethoven deserves to be on this list. Not to mention it’s from the guy who graced us with movies like Jingle All The Way, The Flintstones, Snow Dogs. It’s a must-watch.
Fun fact: Eleanor Keaton, Buster Keaton’s widow, trained the dog Beethoven for this movie.
Wendy And Lucy
Another drama and another dog movie. But this time it’s an indie movie that not that many people know about. However, it’s a really good one. And it has Michelle Williams in the lead role. That of Wendy Caroll. When her dog Lucy gets lost on their way to Alaska, she’ll try anything to find her. Frankly, it’s a shame that Wendy and Lucy is not a more famous movie. Perhaps it’s because it came out in the same year as the acclaimed Synecdoche, New York. But yeah. It deserves to be on this list. With great writing, fantastic performances from Michelle and Will Patton. It’s a must.
Fun fact: Writer/director Kelly Reichardt cast her real-life dog, Lucy, as the co-star.
How Are You Celebrating International Dog Day?
Let us know in the comment section. And feel free to share photos of your dogs. We’d love to meet them.
