Puppy Love: 'National Puppy Day' Photo Gallery

Ready for your daily dose of cuteness?

Yesterday was National Puppy Day, a holiday devoted to celebrating a puppy’s unconditional love and contagious spirit, with a mission to spread awareness about the dangers of puppy mills.

We asked Patch readers across the Hudson Valley to share photos of their favorite four-legged friend in honor of National Puppy Day. Take a look at the adorable pictures.

We got back such great photos—we’re sharing all of them—and some wonderful stories.

“After we lost our 16 year old Bichon, Mallie, we were so depressed and getting Lilly and Barney saved us!!” said a Croton on Hudson resident.

“Zoey is four months old today,” wrote another contributor. “She is the sweetest dog and fills our life with love and joy.”

Many of the dogs pictured here are rescue dogs.

There’s Gina, a rescue from Recycled Paws.

And Buddy, who is great with the grandkids, wrote a Blauvelt contributor. “We highly recommend a rescue dog, they are the best.”

“Dapper is a rescue dog,” wrote another reader. “ We got him on Feb 6. It was said that he came from Alabama, a possible mix of Aussie Shepherd and Golden Retriever. He is now about 24 lbs, simply a bundle of joy. He is my first dog, so much to learn, so much to love.”

“We adopted Gus, a morkie, from Shih Tzus & Furbabies Rescue in October 2013. Gus was rescued by STFBR at about 3 years of age from a hoarder’s puppy mill somewhere in Florida. Gus is a sweet, peppy, pup who keeps us on our toes to give him treats, play ball, and loves long walks. As a photographer, Gus is my gem,” wrote another contributor.

Have a photo to add? Share it with us in the comments!

Liana Messina (Patch Staff) contributed to this report.