Our Favorite 2024 Pet Holidays

Happy Holidays! This month is filled with various seasonal celebrations. Here in the US, we have Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve. Our furry friends also have some designated days this month, including Twin With Your Dog Day, Shelter Pets Day, and National Cat Herders Day. But pet holidays don’t stop there – there are so many more to celebrate and be aware of! For example, we had Wolfenoot last week. This is a pretty pawesome new holiday, specifically dedicated to celebrating wolves and dogs. In this article from Westside Animal Hospital, a Savannah, GA veterinarian lists some of Fido and Fluffy’s other awareness days.

January 2024 Pet Holidays

As we enter a new year, many individuals set fresh objectives. This is the ideal time to celebrate Train Your Dog Month. January also marks Unchain A Dog Month and Walk Your Dog Month. 

On the 2nd of January, we recognize Fluffy’s New Year (or Mew Year, as she calls it), along with single-day awareness events for pet travel safety and Seeing-eye dogs. 

January is also host to a variety of breed-specific days, such as Standard Poodle Day, Alaskan Malamute Day, Labrador Retriever Day, Australian Shepherd Day, French Bulldog Day, American Eskimo Dog Day, Bouvier De Flandres Day, Boxer Day, Yorkie Day, and Tuxedo Cat Day. Fido will also be more than happy to help you partake in Peanut Butter Day festivities.

February 2024 Pet Holidays

February is a time for lovers, and our furry pals have taken note. Valentine’s Day is accompanied by a variety of awareness days focusing on reducing unwanted litters. These include Beat The Heat Month, Prevent A Litter Month, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, World Spay Day, and Responsible Pet Owners Month. Other issues in the spotlight include pet dental health, Black Cat And Dog Syndrome, chained dogs, animal justice issues, and pet theft. 

On a lighter note, you can also enjoy Drink Wine With Your Cat Week, Love Your Pet Day, Doggy Date Night, Cat Day, and Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. We’ll also celebrate sled dogs, brown dogs, and the Galgo, Golden Retrievers, Boston Terrier, and Whippet. Those who appreciate holistic pet care practices should also take note of World Animal Reiki Day.

March 2024 Pet Holidays

As winter comes to a close, humans find ways to break out of their winter doldrums with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Meanwhile, our beloved furry companions have their own special occasions to look forward to, such as Respect Your Cat Day, Cuddly Kitten Day, and If Pets Had Thumbs Day. 

March also includes special days for the Welsh Corgi, Westie, Podenco, Akita, Terrier, and Newfoundland Dog. We also take time to recognize rescue cats, three-legged pets, K-9 Veterans, and anxious dogs, all of whom deserve praise, attention, and appreciation, as well as treats, cuddles, and ear scritches. Meanwhile, our feline friends have a new holiday to celebrate: National Catio Day!

April 2024 Pet Holidays 

Things get warmer in April, which makes it an ideal time to raise awareness about heartworms. It’s also National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, Active Dog Month, Canine Fitness Month, Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. April also has a variety of week-long holidays, including Raw Feeding Week, Animal Care And Control Appreciation Week, National Pet ID Week, and Dog Bite Prevention Week. 

For single-day celebrations, we have International Bull Terrier Day, National Siamese Cat Day, Tortoiseshell Cat Appreciation Day, Beagle Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, National Tabby Day, and National Little Pampered Dog Day. Then, there’s Don’t Walk Your Dog Day, which is actually an incentive to explore different ways to keep Fido active. 

Other important days in April include World Stray Animals Day, Every Day Is Tag Day, Pet Health Insurance Day, Hug Your Dog Day, Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, and International Search and Rescue Dog Day. Finally, we can’t forget about Cat Lady Day and Sylvester The Cat’s birthday!

May 2024 Pet Holidays

May puts some important issues in the spotlight. These include Chip Your Pet Month, National Pet Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and Responsible Animal Guardian Month. In addition to the not-very-glamourous-but-still-important Scoop The Poop Week, we also have National Pet Week, Be Kind To Animals Week, and Puppy Mill Action Week.

The first one-day holiday for pets is National Purebred Day. There are also special honorary days for German Shepherds, Podencos, Samoyeds, Chihuahuas, and the Cavalier King Charles. Mixed breeds also get some love: the 5th is MayDay For Mutts. Finally, we’ll celebrate Dog Mom’s Day on the 11th and Do Lunch With Your Dog Day on the 15th.

June 2024 Pet Holidays

There’s a lot going on in June! First, there’s National Foster A Pet Month. That makes purrfect sense, since June is kitten season in many places. June is also National Pet Preparedness Month, National Microchipping Month, and Social PETworking Month.

Moving on to individual days, well, June 1st is International Sheltie Day, the 2nd is Greyhound Day, the 4th is Corgi Day, and the 12th is Peruvian Hairless Dog Day. In addition, there are a few fun kitty holidays that we can’t not laugh at. For instance, the 4th is Hug Your Cat Day and the 17th is Take Your Cat To Work Day. That one is followed immediately by National Internet Cat Day on the 18th. June 19th is Garfield the Cat Day, while Cat World Domination Day is on the 24th.

July 2024 Pet Holidays 

The biggest summertime holiday celebrated in the United States is Independence Day, July 4th. This one can be quite hazardous for our furry companions. Loud fireworks often scare them, which leads to many pets becoming so frightened that they run away. The resulting spike in missing pet reports makes this the perfect time for National Lost Pet Prevention Month. 

Also on the agenda in July? Dog House Repair Day, Pet Hydration Awareness Day, ID Your Pet Day, and Pet Travel Safety Day.

August 2024 Pet Holidays

August is the Dog Days of Summer, and the calendar certainly favors our canine buddies. We have National Dog Month, Mutt-i-grees Rescue Month, International Assistance Dog Week, and DOGust, the universal birthday for shelter dogs. August also includes Work Like a Dog Day, National Spoil Your Dog Day, and International Blind Dog Day. Beloved cartoon canines Odie and Snoopy both celebrate their birthdays in August. The Catahoula and Yorkie have their own special days as well. 

We’re not forgetting our feline friends! Fluffy is certainly included in Itchy Pet Awareness Month and Clear The Shelters Month. She’s also honored with both national and international cat days. (Your feline pal may not be too excited about Take Your Cat To The Vet Day, but it’s staying on the calendar.)

September 2024 Pet Holidays

September is an awareness month for several important topics, including animal pain, responsible dog ownership, pet insurance, service dogs, and disaster preparations. It’s also Pet Memorial Month and Pet Sitter Education Month. 

There’s no shortage of week-long celebrations, either. You can celebrate Happy Cat Month, Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week, and Deaf Dog Awareness Week. Ginger Cats, Boykin Spaniels, White Cats, Tuxies, Schnauzers, Sighthounds, and Doodle Dogs all have one-day celebrations, as do dog walkers, dog groomers, Old Yeller, and Scooby Doo. 

Fido can enjoy Happy Dog Day, Hug Your Hound Day, and Canine Enrichment Day, while Fluffy has the option to ignore Meow Like A Pirate Day, Cat DNA Day, and Beckoning Cat Day.

October 2024 Pet Holidays

October is a busy month for pet lovers, with several awareness campaigns and special events to celebrate. It’s Adopt A Dog and Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, which we fully support. We also have National Pit Bull Awareness Month and Small Dog Awareness Month. 

The month also highlights topics such as obesity, wellness, safety, and animal protection. Additionally, we have single-day events to honor fire pups, black dogs, Poodles, Spoodles, Pugs, muddy dogs, livestock guardian dogs, plushie animals, St Francis of Assisi, and Pets for Veterans. Our feline friends are not left out either, with Catober, Global Cat Day, and National Cat Day dedicated to them.

November 2024 Pet Holidays

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and National Senior Pet Month. (We’re not sure why there are two, but older pets definitely need the exposure.) There are also awareness days for some serious health issues. November is Pet Diabetes Month and Cancer Awareness Month. Canine lymphoma and feline infectious peritonitis will also be in the spotlight. Week-long celebrations include National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week and Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week. 

Additionally, November has a series of daily observances, such as Cook For Your Pets Day, International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day, and World Animal Enrichment Day. On a sillier note, we have unique celebrations like National Slobber Day, Black Cat Day, Take A Hike Day, Get A Pal For Your Pet Day, and Wolfenoot. There are also dedicated days for specific breeds such as the Border Collie and Coton de Tulear. 

Happy Holidays from Westside Animal Hospital, your Savannah, GA veterinary clinic. Please feel free to contact us anytime!