October 22 marks National Make a Dog’s Day, a celebration launched by Subaru of America in 2019 to honor shelter pets and the humans who love them. The automaker—long known for its “Subaru Loves Pets” initiative—created the day to encourage people to do something special for their dogs and to spotlight “the Underdogs,” the often-overlooked animals waiting in shelters for forever homes.

We here at Darkhorse Press are clearly onboard (Please see our Darkhorse Dogs series for some tearjerkers!) But beyond adoption events and marketing campaigns, this day is a good reminder of a relationship that goes back thousands of years—one of the most enduring bonds in human history.

Man’s Best Friend

Archaeologists believe humans and dogs have lived side by side for more than 14,000 years, perhaps lo

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