As stay-at-home orders were issued across the U.S. last year, animal welfare organizations saw pet adoptions spike during the second half of March. Industry data from PetPoint estimates that the national adoption rate of 58% at the beginning of March 2020 jumped to 85% by the month’s end. 

But by 2020’s end, PetPoint, using data from 1283 animal welfare organizations, reported an 18.9% decrease in dog adoptions overall from the previous year.

National Puppy Day, March 23, was established in 2006 to raise awareness about the number of dogs that need adopting each year. 

While an estimated 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted annually, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), shelters are competing against approximately 10,000 puppy mills operating in the U.S. These puppy mills, according to the National Puppy Day organization, are directly responsible for the overpopulation of dogs in America. 

National Puppy Day encourages considering adopting dogs from shelters over breeders, reducing unwanted pets’ overpopulation and unnecessary suffering. 

In honor of National Puppy Day, the Inkspot staff offers up their list of the most adoptable fictional “spots.”  

When Spots is home, he is never without his master Atari, the mayor’s nephew. He loves Atari as much as Atari loves him — spoiler alert: it’s a lot of love. Spots is incredibly resilient and can persevere through nearly any situation to fulfill his duty of keeping Atari safe. Beyond his loyalty, Spots is pretty darn adorable with his white furry coat, lovable pink nose, spots (shocking!?), and brilliant blue eyes.

Named Winn-Dixie after the supermarket chain, this is a wonderful dog. Whether befriending strangers to bringing unexpected light into his owner Opal’s life, Winn-Dixie provides happiness effortlessly. His charm and love for music brought Opal and her father close again. He demonstrates admirable loyalty when he returns home despite having to confront a thunderstorm, his biggest fear. Above all, he wins the hearts of those around him with his friendly mannerisms, and his devotion to Opal’s family.

Weenie, a dachshund resembling a hot dog, is a loving and loyal pet to Oswald in the 2001 Nickelodeon children’s animated show “Oswald.” When Oswald gets a cold, Weenie remains by his side until he recovers — even carrying medicine in her mouth to help him get well! Weenie is talented, as she sings while Oswald accompanies her on the piano. Weenie also prevents Oswald from getting into trouble during his various schemes, making her the perfect sidekick for Oswald’s daily shenanigans — like when Oswald accidentally unravels a ball of yarn and tangles up innocent townspeople, Weenie aids in their rescue. Weenie is low maintenance, as all she needs are her favorite vanilla dog biscuits, her special green blanket, and her favorite octopus friend!

Snoopy, who first appeared in a 1950 Charles Shultz comic strip “Peanuts,” is a pretty well-rounded dog compared to some other fictional dogs. While Bud from “AirBud” could play basketball, could he fly or cook a meal? Only Snoopy can.
Snoopy may not be able to time travel like Einstein or Sherman. But, Snoopy works with what he has and, as a result, is a very likable dog. Snoopy likes a lot of attention, but through that need for attention, he shows off all of his talents. Snoopy is one of the funniest and most creative dogs that anyone will ever meet. Snoopy is a jack of all trades — whether setting up an entire Thanksgiving meal complete with popcorn and buttered bread, flying his dog house and soaring into the sky, playing one of his various instruments. He can do almost anything imaginable.

While other dogs are known for stealing things off the table, Bullseye is best known for what he can bring to the table. Bullseye is unique — with the signature red circles around his left eye. He has a reserved nature mixed with some spunk. But it is his eye for observing and helping shoppers that makes him such an excellent mascot for Target (and a great shopping companion). Bullseye can spot deals while looking cute at the same time. The added bonus? His Target employee discount! Compared to other brand mascot pups (we are looking at you Taco Bell dog), Bullseye is in a league of his own.

Mr. Peabody is the most versatile dog in history. A Harvard graduate, Mr. Peabody’s genius is seen through his creation of a time machine — the WABAC. He invented a time travel device with a tangerine-sized brain and no thumbs too! Beyond his head (which he almost loses during the French Revolution), Mr. Peabody has a heart as soft as his floppy ears, adopting a boy named Sherman after finding him abandoned in a cardboard box. Even Mr. Peabody’s weaknesses come across as strengths as he struggles with the relatable issues of being a new parent and keeping the fabric of the space-time continuum intact. As Sherman manages to repeatedly sneak off in the WABAC and create catastrophes across time, through working together to solve those issues, Peabody and Sherman become closer and closer.

While the most adoptable fictional dog is a toss-up between Stan from “Dog with a Blog” and Martha from “Martha Speaks,” in the end, Stan is the ultimate fictional dog. While both dogs can speak, Stan can also type and has his own blog. He even manages to keep his human-like attributes a secret from his family. Even superheroes, like Peter Parker, can’t keep their identities a secret, but this Border Collie mix can.

As a pup, Copper is playful and committed to his friends, even those he friends who are pretty unlikely — like Tod the fox. Copper exemplifies accepting others for who they are; setting an example to learn from. Aside from being a fun-loving and loyal friend, he is incredibly adorable! Have you seen those ears? How could anyone not love those!

Scooby-Doo may be a scaredy-cat, but he’s the canine Sherlock Holmes. Since he was a pup, Scooby has been solving mysteries, a detective career that spans over fifty years. Alongside his friends, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma, Scooby is always willing to help if it involves a Scooby Snack. Who wouldn’t want to have a canine companion who is always there to help save the day?

Even if Bolt doesn’t actually have superpowers like he initially believed, he has a superhero-like strength — his caring heart. Bolt is a loving and faithful canine companion to his owner, Penny. The love he feels for Penny drives him to travel across America to find her again and risk his own life in the process! Bolt’s loyalty makes him a dog anyone would love to have, and the envy for Penny is real. Bolt fends off bad guys and keeping an eye out for trouble, with a that sounds a lot like John Travolta’s not-so “husky” voice. He is persevering and headstrong. He is the perfect pup.

Even when he is the underdog, Dug has the courage to stand up to his previous owner Charles Muntz and saves Mr. Fredricksen. Dug is always hyped and keeps a positive attitude even while rocking “the cone of shame.” He’s super cute; he’s charming; he’s endearing. Once you earn it, Dug’s love is unconditional, making him the sweetest and most perfect fictional dog.

Every other dog in fictional history is likely more intelligent than “Garfield’s” Odie. Yet, the same stupidity that makes Odie laughable also makes him so loveable. His stupidity is evident, whether he is being kicked off the table by Garfield for the hundredth time, getting his tongue tied around random objects, or being locked out of the house. But how Odie handles these embarrassments is endearing.
However, there are times that Odie can prove his smarts and impress even Garfield: “He’s not as dumb as he looks, but then again, who could be?” Being seen setting decoys, completing a Sudoku puzzle, and even writing poetry — Odie’s personality is complex. It leaves us wanting to know the dog more. Even if we may not understand anything Odie says, we can tell there is more to this mysterious dog than meets the eye — he’s more than just a cute and dumb dog.

Like his namesake, Einstein the dog was a scientific pioneer — he was one of the first dogs to time travel.  Sure other dogs have some serious accomplishments, Snoopy could operate a typewriter to craft short stories… AirBud was responsible for some poor kid getting cut from the basketball roster.. But Einstein time traveled! Einstein didn’t ask for a lot in return for his commitment to science — just canned dog food and two walks a day.

Sure, Jock is adorable — an old little dog with a thick Scottish accent, wearing a cute red collar, complimenting his gray fur. Don’t let his looks fool you; this geriatric dog is sassy. He doesn’t stop telling his family that Lady is missing, has quick comebacks to his more laid-back counterpart, and gives the Trap an earful when he returns with jock’s friend, Lady. During the second and less popular “Lady and the Tramp II: Scamps Adventure” (2001), he adorns a seriously cute plaid coat, and his snippy attitude softens around the puppies. He helps saves the day and makes fantastic jokes. Plus, he doesn’t mind a scratch behind the ears. Jock is the perfect lap dog with a lot of personality.