How can you celebrate the special bond you have with your pet? We have taken the time to compile this list of 2019 Pet Celebrations, Holidays and Awareness-Raising Events to help you celebrate that bond every month (and day!) of the year. Welcome to our 2019 Pet Celebrations Calendar!
Celebrate these holidays with your pets. Take some of the more “human-centric” holidays and see if you can spin them into a way to celebrate with your pets. Share your creativity with us on our Facebook page!
January
Daily and Weekly Celebrations
January 1: New Year’s Day
January 2: National Pet Travel Safety Day
January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day
Third week of January: Healthy Weight Week (write about your pet and his or her healthy weight)
January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
January 24: Change a Pet’s Life Day
January 29: Seeing Eye Guide Dog Birthday
FEBRUARY
Monthly Holidays
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month (Humane Society of the United States)
National Prevent a Litter Month
Weekly & Daily Holidays
Second week in February: Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week.
February 9-11: Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show. Held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, this event is televised
February 14: Pet Theft Awareness Day
Third week in February: National Justice for Animals Week
February 20: Love Your Pet Day
February 22: Walking the Dog Day
February 23: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
February 28: World Spay Day. Annual campaign by the Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States; held the last Tuesday of February
MARCH
Monthly Holidays
Poison Prevention Awareness Month
Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
Weekly & Daily Holidays
March 3: If Pets Had Thumbs Day
March 5-11: Professional Pet Sitters Week
March 9-12: Crufts. Held in Birmingham, England, this is the world’s largest dog show, featuring nearly 28,000 canines in its four days
March 13: K-9 Veterans Day
March 19-25: National Poison Prevention Week
March 23: National Puppy Day
March 28: Respect Your Cay Day
March 30: Take a Walk in The Park Day
APRIL
Monthly Holidays
National Greyhound Adoption Month
National Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. This event is an effort by the American Red Cross to draw attention to the need to know specialized pet first aid
Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month (ASCPA)
National Pet Month (UK)
Weekly & Daily Holidays
April 1-7: International Pooper Scooper Week
April 8: National Dog Fight Awareness Day
Second Week of April
Dog Bite Prevention Awareness Week
April 11: National Pet Day
April 8-15: Dog Bite Prevention Week
April 9-15: Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week. 2nd full week in April
April 17-23: National Pet ID Week
April 18: Pet Owners Independence Day
April 21: Bulldogs are Beautiful Day
April 16-22: Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week. An effort by the Humane Society of the United States
Third week in April
National Pet ID Week
April 28: Hairball Awareness Day
April 26: National Kids & Pets Day
April 29: World Veterinary Day. This event from the World Veterinary Association is always celebrated on the last Saturday in April
April 30: Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
April 30: National Tabby Day
MAY
Monthly Holidays
Responsible Animal Guardian Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Pet Cancer Awareness and the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research. (Also see November events.)
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month. The American College of Veterinary Optholmologists hosts this annual event when over 200 veterinary optholmologists donate their services to provide eye exams to service dogs in the US and Canada.
Weekly & Daily Holidays
May 1: Mayday for Mutts
May 1: National Purebred Dog Day
May 3: National Specially Abled Pets Day
May 14: National Animal Disaster Preparedness
May 14: National Dog Mom’s Day
May 30: Memorial Day
1st full week: American Humane’s Be Kind to Animals Week. This week-long event has been celebrated since 1915. Always the first full week of May.
May 7-13: National Pet Week. Always held the first full week of May by the American Veterinary Medical Association
May 8-13: Puppy Mill Action Week. An initiative of the HSUS, this week is always scheduled to begin the Monday before Mother’s Day
May 20-27: Dog Bite Prevention Week. This event by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) along with the United States Post Office (USPS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) focuses attention on preventing dog bites. Third full week in May.
JUNE
Monthly Holidays
Adopt-a-Cat Month®. From the American Humane Association
Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month. From the ASPCA
National Pet Preparedness Month. This month, timed for the first month of hurricane season, urges people with pets to make preparations in case they should be hit by a disaster…and that includes making plans for what you would do with your dog in case of a hurricane, tornado, flood or other natural disaster.
Weekly & Daily Holidays
June 4: Hug Your Cat Day
June 4-10: Pet Appreciation Week. First week in June
June 9: World Pet Memorial Day
June 11: Just One Day
June 14: World Pet Memorial Day
Mid-June: Animal Rights Awareness Week
June 20-24: Take Your Dog to Work Week
June 21: National Dog Party Day
June 22: Take Your Cat to Work Day
June 23: Take Your Dog to Work Day
JULY
Monthly Holidays
National Lost Pet Prevention Month™. Learn how to keep your pets from becoming lost in this month-long observance launched by PetHub.
Pet Hydration Awareness Month. Make sure your pets are drinking enough water during the hot summer. Launched by PetSafe.
Weekly & Daily Holidays
July 4: Independence Day. This US holiday is no holiday for dogs; the sounds of fireworks causes many dogs to panic and run, resulting in many lost dogs every year
July 15: National Pet Fire Safety Day. Sponsored by The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), ADT Security Services and the American Kennel Club® (AKC)
July 15 & 16: Celebration of the Horse
July 16: World Snake Day
July 21: National Craft for your Local Shelters Day
July 23: Clear The Shelters Day
July 31: National Mutt Day.
AUGUST
Monthly Holiday
Pet Immunization Awareness Month
Weekly & Daily Holidays
August 1: DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs. The North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, declared August 1 as a birthday for all the shelter animals whose birthdays are unknown. Happy DOGust!!
August 5: Work Like a Dog Day
August 6-12: International Assistance Dog Week
August 8: International Cat Day
August 15: National Check the Chip Day. AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.”
August 15: International Homeless Animals’ Day
August 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day
August 17: National Clear The Shelters Day
August 19: International Homeless Animals’ Day®
August 22: National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
August 26: National Dog Day
August 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
August 30: National Holistic Pet Day
SEPTEMBER
Monthly Holidays
Happy Healthy Cat Month. Established by the CATalyst Council
National Disaster Preparedness Month. Led by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council, this effort encourages individuals, families, businesses and communities to work together and take action to prepare for emergencies. Visit Ready.gov and CitizenCorps.gov
National Service Dog Month
Responsible Dog Ownership Month
Weekly & Daily Holidays
September 10: National Pet Memorial Day. Established by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries (IAPC). Second Sunday in September
September 10: National Hug Your Hound Day
September 13: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day
Last full week in September: National Dog Week
Last full week in September. Deaf Pet Awareness Week. By Petfinder.com
September 13: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day. A day dedicated to the issue of pet birth defects including information on identification, prevention and treatment. Sponsored by the MBJungle Foundation
September 16: Puppy Mill Awareness Day
September 22: Remember Me Thursday
September 23: Dogs in Politics Day (also known as Checkers Day). Recognizing the dogs of politicians
September 24-30: National Deaf Dog Awareness Week. Last full week in September
September 28: World Rabies Day. Sponsored by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control
OCTOBER
Monthly Holidays
Adopt-A-Dog Month®. By American Humane Association
Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month. By ASPCA
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
National Pit Bull Awareness Month
Weekly & Daily Holidays
1st Week of October. National Walk Your Dog Week
October 4: World Animal Day
First Full Week of October. Animal Welfare Week. (AVMA)
October 12: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
October 9-15: National Veterinary Technician Week. Sponsored by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America
October 1: National Fire Pup Day
October 1: National Black Dog Day
October 15: National Pug Day
October 16: National Feral Cat Day
October 21: National Reptile Awareness Day
October 28: National Pit Bull Awareness Day. Last Saturday in Oct. (unless Halloween falls on the last Saturday, then another date is chosen)
October 29: National Cat Day
October 30: National Black Cat Day in the UK
NOVEMBER
Monthly Holidays
National Pet Awareness Month
National Senior Pet Month/Adopt A Senior Pet Month
Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Sponsored by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) and the Animal Cancer Foundation. (Also see May events)
Weekly & Daily Holidays
National Dog Show. Always broadcast in the US on Thanksgiving, this event is held at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania and is hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. Sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, the event features 2,000 dogs
November 1: National Cook For Your Pets Day
November 5-11: National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. by The Humane Society of the United States. First full week of November
November 12: Fancy Rat and Mouse Day
November 17: National Take a Hike Day
November 17: National Black Cat Day
November 23: Thanksgiving Day (US)
DECEMBER
Monthly Holidays
Animal Sanctuary Appreciation Month
Daily and Weekly Holidays
December 2: National Mutt Day. Also see July 31
December 4: National Cookie Day
December 13: Day Of The Horse
December 14: Monkey Day
December 15: Cat Herder’s Day
December 16: Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
December 21: Winter begins (Write about fun, safe ways to enjoy winter with your pets OR write about how to travel safely with your pet in the winter)
December 24: Channukah
December 25: Christmas
December 31: New Year’s Eve
