Your complete guide to Every Pet Holiday in 2024!
2024 is a year for celebration! And here at Time To Pet, we can't think of a better thing to celebrate than all of the amazing pets that bring joy to our lives every single day. To help you stay organized this year, we've got a great collection of some of the most amazing (and most bizarre) pet holidays you can find!
There is a big one on August 26th. That's right - it's National Dog Day — you've probably heard of it. But have you heard of Fancy Rat and Mouse Day on November 12th, or how about National Pet Bird Day on September 17th?
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Here at Time To Pet, we like to think that every day is a pet holiday (and most of them are)! If you see our tails wagging, that's just because we get so excited about celebrating our pets (and the pets our customers are taking care of) whenever we can. A lot of people are familiar with the major pet holidays like the aforementioned National Dog Day, PSI's Take Your Dog to Work Day, National Pet Day, and Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, but there are many more pet holidays to celebrate. We've made a big list (over 150) of pretty much every pet holiday there is! So get your party hat ready and keep reading.
One of the best ways to ensure that you and your best bud get to celebrate all of the awesome pet holidays (like Celebrate Shelter Pets Day on December 5th) is by protecting them with Pet Insurance. If you are not familiar with Pet Insurance, it is a type of health insurance designed specifically for your pet. It can help cover the costs of medical care in a similar way that human health insurance protects you. We've got lots of great information on Pet Insurance over at Local Pet Care. If you were interested in exploring different policies for your pets, check out some options available here brought to you by our friends at The Swiftest.
Now back to the celebrating!
Pet holidays aren't only about dancing around the house with your cat that happens to be dressed like a pirate—National Meow Like Pirate Day, September 19th. They are also an excellent opportunity for pet care businesses to make some great content for their blogs, and to engage with their pet parents clients via emails and social media channels. If you are ever running out of cute pet pictures to post on your Instagram or Facebook (highly unlikely, we know), you can always share a pet holiday! You might want to bookmark this calendar and check it out every month. For more great info on boosting your online presence, check out our blog post on Local SEO For Your Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business. Now, to the celebration!
Here is our list of over 150 pet holidays to celebrate in 2024!
January
Start off your 2024 with some fun! Check out these January pet holidays, like National Dress Up Your Pet Day and National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day!
- Walk Your Pet Month
- National Train Your Dog Month
- January 1st - New Year's Day
- January 2nd - National Pet Travel Safety Day
- January 5th - National Bird Day
- January 8th - National Labrador Retriever Day
- January 14th - National Dress Up Your Pet Day
- January 21st - Squirrel Appreciation Day
- January 22nd - National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
- January 24th - Change a Pet's Life Day
- January 29th - Seeing-Eye Guide Dog Birthday
February
February might be best known for Valentine's Day, but there are some other great opportunities to show your pets some love with all these great holidays!
- Pet Dental Health Month
- Dog Training Education Month
- National Cat Health Month
- National Prevent a Litter Month
- Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
- Responsible Pet Owners Month
- February 2nd - Hedgehog Day (and Groundhog Day)
- February 2nd - National Golden Retriever Day
- February 3rd - Doggie Date Night
- February 7th -14th - Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
- February 14th - Pet Theft Awareness Day
- February 18th - 24th - National Justice for Animals Week
- February 20th - National Love Your Pet Day
- February 22nd - National Walking The Dog Day
- February 22nd - National Wildlife Day (also celebrated in September)
- February 23rd - International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
- February 27th - International Polar Bear Day
- February 28th - World Spay Day
March
Did you know that Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is the patron saint of cats? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if pets had thumbs? Check out all these great pet holidays in March!
- Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
- March 3rd - If Pets Had Thumbs Day.
- March 7th - 10th - Crufts. Held in Birmingham, England, this is the world’s largest dog show
- March 13th - National K9 Veterans Day
- March 14th - National Spider Day
- March 17th - Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day— patron saint of cats.
- March 17th - 23rd - National Poison Prevention Week
- March 23rd - National Puppy Day
- March 23rd - Cuddly Kitten Day
- March 27th - National Terrier Day
- March 28th - Respect Your Cat Day
- March 30th - Take a Walk in the Park Day
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April
April is action packed with over 20 pet holidays! If you live across the pond, it's National Pet Month!
- Heartworm Awareness Month
- Canine Fitness Month
- National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
- Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Month
- National Pet Month - UK
- April 1st -7th - International Pooper Scooper Week
- April 2nd - Ferret Day
- April 6th - Every Day is Tag Day
- April 6th - National Siamese Cat Day
- April 8th - National Dog Fighting Awareness Day
- April 11th - National Pet Day
- April 14th - 20th - National Dog Bite Prevention Week
- April 21st - Bulldogs are Beautiful Day
- April 22nd - Earth Day
- April 24th - Hairball Awareness Day
- April 24th - National Pet Parents Day
- April 25th - International Guide Dog Day
- April 26th - National Kids and Pets Day
- April 27th - World Veterinary Day
- April 28th - National Pet Parents Day
- April 30th - National Therapy Animal Day.
- April 30th - Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May
It's National Pet Month in the US! But don't worry if you're not in the US, you can celebrate World Turtle Day® and International Chihuahua Appreciation Day!
- Chip Your Pet Month
- National Pet Month
- Responsible Animal Guardian Month
- May 1st - National Purebred Dog Day®
- May 3rd - National Specially-Abled Pets Day
- May 5th -11th - Puppy Mill Action Week
- May 5th - 11th - National Pet Week
- May 7th - National Dog Mom’s Day
- May 9th - National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
- May 12th - Mother's Day!
- May 14th - International Chihuahua Appreciation Day
- May 20th - National Rescue Dog Day
- May 23rd - World Turtle Day®
- May 30th - International Hug Your Cat Day
June
June is all about the cats! It's Adopt-a-Cat Month, with other special cat days like National Garfield the Cat Day and Cat World Domination Day!
- Adopt-a-Cat Month
- National Pet Preparedness Month
- June 7th through 13th - Pet Appreciation Week
- June 9th - World Pet Memorial Day
- June 16th - Father's Day
- June 17th - Take Your Cat to Work Day®
- June 17th - 21st - Take Your Pet to Work Week®
- June 19th - National Garfield the Cat Day
- June 21st - Take Your Dog to Work Day®
- June 24th - Cat World Domination Day
Adding cat sitting to the services you offer is great way to attract new business! If you're looking to increase your cat sitting skills during Adopt-a-Cat Month, check out our blog post on Cat Sitting Tips for Pet Sitters!
July
The 4th of July might be your pet's least favorite holiday with all the fireworks, but the rest of the month is all about celebrating your four-legged best friends!
- National Lost Pet Prevention Month
- National Pet Hydration Awareness Month
- Dog House Repair Month
- July 1st - ID Your Pet Day
- July 4th - Independence Day - A ruff day for pets! The loud noise of fireworks can cause dogs to panic and sometimes run away. Keep your pets calm and safe!
- July 5th - Pet Remembrance Day
- July 10th - National Kitten Day
- July 11th - All-American Pet Photo Day.
- July 15th - National Pet Fire Safety Day
- July 16th - World Snake Day
- July 16th - Guinea Pig Appreciation Day
- July 21st - No Pet Store Puppies Day
- July 26th - National Dog Photography Day - UK
- July 27th - Aug 3rd National Feed a Rescue Pet Week
- July 31st - National Mutt Day (also in December)
Take a look at our blog post on Pet Sitting on the 4th of July for info about how to set your fees and policies.
August
With National Dog Day on August 26th, DOG-ust is guaranteed to be a great month!
- August 1st - DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs
- August 4th - 10th - International Assistance Dog Week
- August 5th - Work Like a Dog Day
- August 8th - International Cat Day
- August 10th - Spoil Your Dog Day
- August 14th - World Lizard Day
- August 15th - National Check the Chip Day
- August 16th - Saint Roch’s Day. Patron saint of dogs
- August 17th - International Homeless Animals’ Day.
- August 17th - National Black Cat Appreciation Day
- August 22nd - National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
- August 23rd - International Blind Dog Day
- August 26th - National Dog Day
September
Welcome Fall and get ready to party! September is packed full of pet holidays like National Hug Your Hound Day and the World’s Largest Pet Walk!
- Happy Cat Month
- National Service Dog Month
- National Pet Insurance Month
- Responsible Dog Ownership Month
- Pet Sitter Education Month™
- September 1st - Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
- September 4th - National Wildlife Day (also celebrated in February)
- September 8th - National Iguana Awareness Day
- September 13th - National Hug Your Hound Day
- September 14th - National Pet Memorial Day
- September 17th - National Pet Bird Day
- September 19th - National Meow Like a Pirate Day
- September 22nd - 28th - National Dog Week. Last full week in September
- September 22nd - 28th - Deaf Dog Awareness Week. Last full week in September
- September 23rd - Dogs in Politics Day (also known as Checkers Day). Recognizing the dogs of politicians
- September 24th - World’s Largest Pet Walk
- September 26th - Remember Me Thursday® is an international social media awareness day that brings attention to the millions of adoptable pets waiting in shelters and remembers those pets who never got a second chance. Share your rescue pet using #RememberMeThursday
- September 28th - World Rabies Day
October
There is plenty to celebrate in October! You can party with your pets all month and then dress up like them on Halloween! What kind of dog does Dracula have? A bloodhound!
- Adopt-A-Dog Month
- Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
- National Animal Safety and Protection Month
- National Pet Wellness Month
- National Pit Bull Awareness Month
- October 1st - 7th - National Walk Your Dog Week
- October 1st - National Fire Pup Day
- October 1st - National Black Dog Day
- October 4th - World Animal Day
- October 10th - National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
- October 11-17 - National Veterinary Technician Week. Sponsored by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America.
- October 24th - National Pit Bull Awareness Day
- October 29th - National Cat Day
- October 31st - Halloween. Fun costumes for everyone!
Have you thought about volunteering at a local shelter or rescue? Volunteering is a great way to give back and spread the word about your pet care business! Check out our blog post on Volunteering 101 for Pet Sitters!
November
There are some great November pet holidays to celebrate while you're getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday!
- Pet Cancer Awareness Month
- National Senior Pet Month
- Adopt a Senior Pet Month
- Pet Diabetes Month
- November 1st - National Cook for Your Pets Day
- November 4th - 10th - National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. by The Humane Society of the United States. First full week of November
- November 7- National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day
- November 12th - Fancy Rat and Mouse Day
- November 17th - National Take a Hike Day
- November 28th - National Dog Show
- November 28th - Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving and the December holidays coming up, it's a great time to review your holiday rates and policies. Take a look at our Academy lesson on Creating Your Holiday Fee Policy for some helpful info!
December
There are a lot of human holidays to celebrate in December, but don't forget about the pets! Check out these great pet holidays!
- National Cat Lovers’ Month
- December 2nd - National Mutt Day (also in July)
- December 5th - Celebrate Shelter Pets Day
- December 9th - International Day of Veterinary Medicine
- December 13th - National Horse Day
- December 15th - National Cat Herders Day
- December 21st - Underdog Day
- December 31st - New Year’s Eve - watch out for fireworks!
Even though there are plenty of holidays, celebrating your pet doesn't have to be reserved for one. Here at Time To Pet we believe that any day is a good day to celebrate them!
