Pet Holidays To Celebrate All Year

What would life be without obscure holidays to celebrate all year long? If you ever discover that it’s a fun holiday while checking social media just to realize it’s too late to participate, then we’ve got you covered. Here are 38 holidays for dogs and owners to watch out for and celebrate each month! Be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss out on any of these national pet holidays.

January 

January 2 – National Pet Travel Safety Day – Traveling with pets can be dangerous if done incorrectly, so this is the day to learn all the basics. We’ve got a guide to traveling with dogs here.

January 5 – National Bird Day – This national pet holiday is for the US only, but don’t forget to start the year off right with National Bird Day! Send a card, make a donation or send your birds extra love to celebrate this avian holiday.

January 14 – National Dress Up Your Pet Day and National Seeing Eye Dog Day – You won’t want to miss out the cutest ever pet holiday! Need some dress up ideas? Check out some of the most hilarious dog sweaters here (link).

January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day – This worldwide holiday is all about those cute flightless birds everyone loves! On this day be sure to share information, do some research or even adopt a penguin as a gift!

January 29 –  National Seeing Eye Dog Day – This is a great day to donate to a seeing eye dog foundation like this one. 

February 2017

February 20 – Love Your Pet Day – February is already the month of love, but singles and paired up folks alike can get behind Love Your Pet Day! This is the perfect day to bake some special treats or take your pets to their favorite park.

February 22 – National Walk Your Dog Day – Take your pups to go get some exercise and even meet up with your fellow dog lovers for National Walk Your Dog Day.

February 27 – Polar Bear Day – Worldwide Polar Bear Day is the time to educate yourself on how climate change has affected these powerful creatures and what you can do help protect them.

February 28 – World Spay Day – 2017 marks the 23rd annual World Spay Day, so be sure to spread the word and spay any pets you might have been putting off to avoid overpopulation.

(st patrick’s img) March 2017

March 1 – National Pig Day – Start out March with a celebration of pigs! These highly intelligent creatures are often underappreciated and this is a day to go to zoo and enjoy them.

March 14 – Learn About Butterflies Day – Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating insects who need our help to survive long term. Today’s the day to learn about these flying beauties and what you can do to help them thrive.

March 19 – Poultry Day – This holiday celebrated all over the world is your chance to step back and be grateful for all types of poultry humans enjoy on a daily basis.

March 23 – National Puppy Day – Have you always wanted to get a puppy but just never found the right time? Today is the day! Go adopt a snuggly, cuddly puppy to celebrate National Puppy Day!

April 2017

April 10 – National Hug Your Dog Day – It’s pretty self-explanatory, but today is the day to embrace your pup even more than usual. Your dogs will love all the extra snuggles.

April 11 – Dog Therapy Appreciation Day – Therapy dogs are hard at work making the lives of humans better every day. Today is the day to give back to those selfless dogs. See what you can do to support therapy dogs in your community!

April 23 – National Lost Dog Awareness Day – Not all stray dogs are homeless, and today is the day to make a difference by helping these lost pups find their way back to their humans.

 May 2017

May 1 – Save the Rhino Day – This day is for protecting and bringing awareness to the incredibly important and endangered rhino. See how you can help here.

May 3 – National Specially-abled Pets Day – Specially-abled pets are the ones who overcome handicaps and bring joy to those around them, and May 3 is the day for them to shine. It’s the perfect time to learn about caring for disabled animals and maybe even adopting one!

May 23 – World Turtle Day – World Turtle Day has been celebrated all over the globe since 2000, and it’s a great time to teach your friends and family the steps they can take to help turtles and tortoises thrive.

June 2017

June 4 – Hug Your Cat Day – For all the cat lovers out there, June 6 is the day to give your kitties a squeeze. Here’s to hoping your cat enjoys it as much as you do!

June 9 – World Pet Memorial Day – Pets play a huge role in our lives, and it’s incredibly difficult when they pass. World Pet Memorial Day is the day to remember and celebrate all the pets that are no longer with us.

June 23 – Take Your Dog to Work Day – June 23 is the day to bring your dog into your workplace and show off your furbaby!

July 2017

July 15 – National Pet Fire Safety Day – Fire safety is often taught to children growing up, but it’s important to know what to do with pets in the case of an emergency. Today is the day to make sure you and your family are well educated in pet fire safety!

July 16 – World Snake Day – Snakes may not be everyone’s favorite animal, but they are fascinating and today is the day to learn how you can protect them from the endangered species list.

July 31 – Mutt Day – Mixed breeds, or mutts, are some of the healthiest, most unique dogs out there. Celebrate your mutt today by feeding him lots of treats, like Carnivore Cookies (link), posting photos to social media and encouraging your friends to adopt a mutt!

August 2017

August 8 – World Cat Day – It’s all about cats on August 8! Make sure you’ve got the catnip ready so your kitty can celebrate the right way.

August 19 – National Honey Bee Day – Honey bees play a vital role in our ecosystem and they are disappearing! On National Honey Bee Day, share information, donate here and enjoy some of the sweet honey they supply us with.

August 26 – National Dog Day – Now this is our kind of holiday! Pamper your dog all day long on National Dog Day.

September 2017

September 16 – Puppy Mill Awareness Day – Unfortunately there are many understaffed, overpopulated puppy mills in the world full of abused and mistreated animals. September 16 is the day to spread the word and donate to organizations that work tirelessly to rescue and rehabilitate these poor creatures. Learn more here.

September 22 – Elephant Appreciation Day – Elephants are highly intelligent gentle giants, and they deserve some love! Go visit your local zoo and spend some extra time learning about elephants on this day.

September 23 – International Rabbit Day – Rabbits are some of the cutest animals the world has ever seen, and on the 23rd it’s time to focus on caring for and protecting both domestic and wild rabbits.

October 2017

October 4 – World Pets Day – From ferrets to tarantulas, today is the day to celebrate, honor and enjoy your pets of all shapes and sizes!

October 16 – National Feral Cat Day – Feral or “community cats” are present and loved in many neighborhoods! October 16 is the day to educated everyone on the trap-neuter-return policy that allows them to live in peace without adding to the overpopulation of feral cats.

October 27 – National Pit Bull Awareness Day – Pit bulls are some of the most feared and abused breed of dog, so the Bless The Bullys pit bull rescue and education organization began this holiday as a way to spread positive awareness about the breed. Show how your sweet pit bull is a part of the family or donate to a pit bull rescue organization to celebrate!

November 2017

November 1 – National Cook for Your Pets Day – How often does your pet get a nice home cooked meal? Well, today’s the day! If you’re not the best cook, just add a K9 Power nutritional supplement to your dog’s kibbles and he’ll LOVE the taste!

November 7 – National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day – Any dog owner who has had to cope with their dog’s lymphoma diagnosis knows it is a devastating and confusing time. On November 7 it’s time to honor the pups who have battled the disease and spread education about treatment and options to provide support for scared pet owners.

November 17 – National Black Cat Day – Superstition, whether you believe in it or not, runs deep! Unfortunately the connection between black cats and bad luck is one that goes way back. Today is the day to help get rid of the stigma and adopt a black cat or donate to a shelter. Find more information here.

December 2017

December 14 – Monkey Day – Close out 2017 on a fun note by celebrating Monkey Day! Those playful creatures are so smart and mischievous. If you can’t find some actual monkeys to visit on December 14, be sure to at least eat some bananas!