Josh Billings - A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for August 26th.Today is National Dog Day, founded in 2004 by animal advocate Colleen Paige. She chose August 26th because it was the day her family adopted their first dog, Sheltie, when she was just 10 years old. The holiday celebrates all dogs – mixed breeds and purebreds alike – while highlighting the countless dogs in shelters waiting for homes.

National Dog Day serves a dual purpose: celebrating the unconditional love, loyalty, and joy that dogs bring to our lives, while raising awareness about dog rescue and adoption.

Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, offering protection, assistance, and most importantly, unwavering friendship. They ask for so little – food, shelter, and love – yet give us everything in return.Which brings us to today's quote from the author Josh Billings, who once said:"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."Josh Billings captured something profound about the canine spirit that makes National Dog Day so meaningful. Dogs possess a rare quality – the ability to love completely selflessly. They don't love us conditionally based on our moods, our success, or even how we treat them on any given day. They love us simply because we exist in their world.

Think about how a dog greets you after you've been gone – whether for five minutes or five hours, the enthusiasm is the same. They don't hold grudges, they don't keep score, and they don't love you less because you had a bad day at work or forgot to give them that extra treat.

This selfless love is especially powerful when we consider the dogs still waiting in shelters. These animals, many abandoned or surrendered through no fault of their own, haven't lost their capacity to love.

I've had a few dogs in my life. And our current dog, Pepper is an amazing dog that has all of these qualities we've gone over today. She is loyal and loving, enthusiastic and happy. She makes each day a little better just by being herself.She is actually a rescue dog from Texas and she and all her siblings were transported North in a little white van. Covid restrictions were still in effect and being from Canada, I couldn't cross the border to pick up Pepper so they came up with a plan B. They sent us the instructions to pick up the dog with a link to a YouTube video showing what to do and I couldn't believe it. My first thought was... is this legal. It seemed shady to me. But I drove to zero avenue on the BC side of the Canada USA border and waited with other expectant doggie mommy and daddies at Peace Arch Park. And when the white van pulled up into the parking lot at the other end of the field they carried these little puppies across the field and called out the dogs name.When they called Pepper's name I stepped forward with my paperwork and they gave me the vaccination records and just handed the beautiful little puppy across the border.Weird right?Then I just walked over to customs with Pepper, declared the dog and paid the GST and drove home with our new family member.Honestly, it was one of the strangest things I've done. And I've done some strange things.So today, in honor of National Dog Day, take a moment to appreciate the dogs in your life, or consider opening your heart to one who needs a home. Remember Josh Billings' insight about the pure, selfless nature of canine love.Whether you're a lifelong dog owner or thinking about adoption for the first time, dogs remind us that the best kind of love is the kind that gives freely, expects little, and never keeps score.That's going to do it for today. May you love as freely as a dog, and may you always recognize the gift of unconditional devotion.I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off for now, but I'll be back tomorrow – same pod time, same pod station – with another Daily Quote.