Every year on August 26, owners around the world celebrate International Dog Day with their four-legged pets. It is a relatively new holiday, it was first entered in the calendars in 2004, i.e. 20 years ago. This day was declared by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) with the aim of drawing attention to the importance of dogs in our lives and promoting their protection. The most prominent part for this holiday played the well-known American animal rights activist Colleen Paige, who is also a recognized behavioral expert on the behavior of domestic animals and the author of the book The Good Behavior Book For Dogs. Paige chose the date for the holiday based on the day she got her first dog as a ten-year-old. In addition to International Dog Day, she also announced, for example, International Cat Day or International Pet Day.

Dogs are one of the most popular pets not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the world. They are loyal, playful and kind. They can give us a lot of joy and unconditional love. Dogs are also very important helpers in many areas, such as the police, military, rescue or healthcare. Whether we have a unique "street mix" or a show star blue blood, this day is an opportunity to celebrate these wonderful four-legged companions and thank them for all they do for us. We can also support their rescue by getting a dog from a shelter or by supporting an organization that deals with the protection of dogs. These silent faces can not only fill the places in our hearts, but simply make the world a better place.

Josef Florian (9/2/1873 Hladov near Jihlava - 29/12/1941 Stará Říše) also captured one such canine helper in his drawing, stored in the depository of our gallery. This Catholic-oriented thinker, man of letters, publisher, translator from French and English, after studying in Prague at the Czech Technical University and the Faculty of Philosophy of the Charles University and a subsequent fifteen-year tenure as a high school professor of natural history in Náchod, returned to his native region and settled in Stará Říše. In addition to the fact that he got married here and did not send his twelve children to school, but educated them according to his own methods at home, he also built an important publishing house focused on the works of medieval and modern thinkers and theological, religious-essayist, philosophical and scientific literature, but also on Czech fiction. His publishing work reached respectable dimensions. Over 400 titles are listed, including 140 individual books, 131 anthologies and 27 poetry committees.

Jana Bojanovská, August 26, 2024