On Thursday April 29, Argentina celebrated National Animal day. The day was the idea of Dr. Ignacio Albarracín and began in 1908. Dr Albarracín was the director of the Zoological Garden and president of the Animal Protection Association of Buenos Aires.
In honor of the annual celebration I’ve compiled a few interesting facts on pets in Argentina and the United states.
FUN FACT
Argentina holds the record of being the country with the most pets per capita. Dogs are by far the most popular pet with cats coming in at number 2.
myanimals.com
Top dog names in Argentina
| Female | Male |
| 1. Lola 2. Luna 3. Mora 4. Olivia 5. Nina | 1. Milo 2. Simon 3. Teo 4. Rocco 5. Coco |
My pet story – The legend of Billy the Pig
I don’t recall the exact circumstances of how a group of four recent college graduates living in a “band house” in Santa Barbara ended up with a pot-bellied pig. I’d like to think it was pig rescue, saving it from the clutches of a pig trafficking. It was a cute little guy and Billy just seemed to fit , I’ll take credit for the name although it’s a subject of debate. There was definitely a honeymoon period where Billy could do no wrong. He was a smart little ham sandwich and soon he was following me on walks down to the corner store and through the neighborhood.
However, Billy became too smart for his own good. Frankly he became quite the diva, whining through the night in his high-pitched squeal, complaining about being properly feed and groomed. The final straw was when he demanded his own mirror and shampoo, Pert Plus. We agreed to part ways on good terms and he split for a farm in the foothills. I hope he’s doing alright.
