Arf! Celebrating the dog day of August

Time out for canines: August 26 is National Dog Day, and Portland pawses to pay homage to its own. K.B. Dixon and his camera scour the city to seek out our best friends in action.

August 26, 2024

K.B. Dixon

Culture, Photography

Dog in Wagon, 2016

“Apparently, I missed International Cat Day and so did OAW,” photographer, writer, and ArtsWatch regular K.B. Dixon wrote us in a quick note. “I was thinking you might not want to miss the much more important NATIONAL DOG DAY. It’s August 26. (It’s no World Sand Dune Day, but what is?) According to the infallible internet: ‘National Dog Day is celebrated annually on August 26. Observance of National Dog Day began in 2004 thanks to animal behaviorist Colleen Paige, who wanted to bring attention to animal abuse and assist animal charities. Paige also wanted to highlight the contributions dogs make to society as loyal companions, service animals, and in the line of duty with law enforcement or military operations.‘”

How could we resist? Of course we want to share Dixon’s photos of Portland dogs and their people with you. To all the Rin Tin Tins and Roscoes and Sandys and their humans out there: This one’s for you.

— The Editors

Leather Hat, 2018

Man in leather hat carrying a dog. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Dog in Basket, 2012

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Drinking Fountain, 2014

Woman pausing on a walk so her dog can drink out of a drinking fountain. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Bothered Bassett, 2012

Bassett hound at an outdoor cafe table with three humans. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Dalmatian, 2013

Woman carrying a child who is carrying a stuffed dalmatian toy. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Lunch, 2019

Two small dogs sitting at an outdoor cafe table with two humans, enjoying lunch. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Dog in Basket #2, 2013

Dog sitting in a bicycle basket. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Admiration, 2017

Several people stopping on a crowded sidewalk to admire and pet a large dog. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Beret, 2015

Man wearing a beret and using a wooden cane, out walking his dog on a leash. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Brushing, 2018

Woman at a crowded dog show brushing her dog's fur. Photo: K.B. Dixon

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Antlers, 2017

K.B. Dixon

K.B. Dixon’s work has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals. His most recent collection of stories, Artifacts: Irregular Stories (Small, Medium, and Large), was published in Summer 2022. The recipient of an OAC Individual Artist Fellowship Award, he is the winner of both the Next Generation Indie Book Award and the Eric Hoffer Book Award. He is the author of seven novels: The Sum of His Syndromes, Andrew (A to Z), A Painter’s Life, The Ingram Interview, The Photo Album, Novel Ideas, and Notes as well as the essay collection Too True, Essays on Photography, and the short story collection, My Desk and I. Examples of his photographic work may be found in private collections, juried exhibitions, online galleries, and at K.B. Dixon Images.