Today is National Dog Day, a day to honor our beloved canines and raise awareness for the massive number of dogs in shelters awaiting a permanent home. National Dog Day began in 2004, but I didn't hear of it until recently. Below is my National Dog Day photo that I posted on Instagram earlier today. This photo was taken the other morning and pretty much depicts the face I see hovering over me every morning. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Regardless of your political leanings and feelings about the state of our country, if you are a Mean Girls fan and a dog lover, you have to admit this photo caption is quite clever.

Full disclosure: I've definitely said this exact line to Woody a few times.

As some of you may know, I have a lot of dogs in my life besides Woody. These dogs belong to some of my dearest friends and are just as much a part of their families as Woody is to mine. So, I like to talk about them from time to time.

Meet Momma, an adult American Bulldog mix who has overcome a lot of adversity in her life. Momma is currently being fostered by my friend Halley, who, without question is probably the biggest animal lover I know. Halley was out in the Cleveland area one day when she found Momma and Molly, a puppy who is most likely one of Momma's, malnourished and alone.

Though she already had two dogs and two cats, Halley took Momma and Molly in and got them checked by the vet immediately. She worked quickly to get them healthy again, but Momma needed (and still needs) some extra attention. Momma was positive with heartworm and had five cancerous mast cell tumors. Last week, she underwent surgery to have all of her tumors removed, one of which required the removal of her left ear. She was also spayed during this procedure.

Momma is back home now, resting soundly and in good spirits despite all of her stitches and staples. This surgery would not have been possible without the help of Cleveland Underdog Rescue. The organization helped Halley raise $2,605 for Momma's surgery. Only $395 to go before it's paid in full!

I love Woody with all my heart, but, if you've been reading his stories, you can see how much of a nutcase he can be. Momma is the exact opposite. Momma is the best dog to debunk any myths about bull dogs' alleged ferocious nature. Momma is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met. A few months ago, she literally just slept next to me for an hour while I was at Halley's as if she never wanted me to leave her side. As shown by her ability to live in a house with three goofy dogs and two cats, she is great with other animals and humans, even children.

If you would like to contribute to the rest of Momma's surgery fund or help her our in anyway possible, please share this post and visit http://www.clevelandunderdog.org/help-momma.

Her road to recovery has been tough and she still needs to gain a little weight, but she is a fighter. They say there is nothing like a momma's love, and in the case of this little lady, that saying couldn't be more true.

Out of all Woody's quirks, the strangest one has to be his belief that his tail is the enemy whenever he's eating a treat for an extended period of time. These treats include rawhides, peanut butter kongs and, in this case, doggie ice cream. His behavior in this particular moment is actually improvement from the last few years. Woody used to attack in a much more aggressive manner, yet, surprisingly never drew blood on himself. If videos of dogs eating ice cream and chasing their tails bore you, do not watch. Otherwise, enjoy this two-minute clip of what was actually a ten-minute debacle between Woody, the ice cream and his tail. I think the tail is the winner, but it's open for debate.