The initiative comes from the Portuguese Association of the Serra da Estrela Dog, which “wants to do everything to publicize, promote, and preserve one of the great Portuguese native breeds.”
“We believe that, in addition to being a very valuable heritage among our native breeds, it deserves our effort to create an event that can dignify the dog and also the people. The social role that the dog has had over these thousands of years, but especially in the last three centuries, deserves this recognition,” Paulo Peralta da Costa, the Association’s president, told Lusa news agency.
On September 8, the Association challenges dog owners in various countries around the world to come out to the streets and gather in parks, walks, or social picnics.
“We will be on the street with the animals. Everyone who comes out should bring their dog and send photos that will be published on a Facebook page. We will promote it as much as possible so that the breed is recognized for what it is, as an excellent working breed, and nowadays even more than that,” said Paulo Peralta da Costa.
For the Association’s president, the Serra da Estrela dog is “probably the best dog in the world,” being “very caring in the family and with a fantastic temperament, in addition to its own beauty, whether in the long-haired variety or in the rusticity of the short-haired variety.”
The leader emphasized that it is a millennial breed that has always been used to protect flocks and properties, and that has lost much of this dynamic due to the depopulation of the interior.
“Fortunately, there are still a few enthusiasts who dedicate themselves to the dog’s function. Today, the Serra da Estrela dog is spread a little all over the world,” noted Paulo Peralta da Costa.
The association considers that the World Day of the Serra da Estrela Dog will also be a way to value all those who still have the enthusiasm to work in pastoralism, maintain a bit of life in the interior, and have the dog for their protection.
The initiative will be promoted in partnership with the Estrela Mountain Dog Club, an association from the United Kingdom, where for 13 years an annual picnic has been organized with animals, owners, and admirers of the breed.
The organizers of the World Day of the Serra da Estrela Dog remind that the breed has other less-known aptitudes such as therapy dog, guide dog, working dog for military/police forces, and even in search and rescue.
The Portuguese Association of the Serra da Estrela Dog, created in 1986, has about 600 members, including breeders, owners, and admirers of the breed.
