Ultimate Calendar of Pet & Veterinary Holidays (2024)

Colorful awareness calendar for pet holidays

Every month at Good Good Good, we plan upcoming good news content for our Instagram, Goodnewsletter, Goodnewspaper, podcast, website, and more. Our work is always centered on hopeful stories about people making a difference in the world — and action steps on how each of us can join in with that good work.

With so many holidays, awareness days, education weeks, and activism months happening all year long, we’ve been slowly collecting all of these events in a private internal calendar for years.

We made our Monthly Cause Awareness Calendar publicly available earlier this year. We’ve also published:

And now we’re publishing our guide to pet and veterinary awareness holidays.

Our hope is this resource will help you or your organization bring attention to important pet issues — and, of course, simply celebrate your furry friends.

Where applicable, we’ve included resources around highlighted holidays — usually in the form of good news around particular topics, relevant quotes or recommendations, or action steps on how to make a difference. We encourage you to share them if you find them helpful.

We’ve worked hard to make this the most comprehensive collection of pet-related days and months on the internet. Always double-check dates, as organizers may occasionally change dates.

Bookmark this page and revisit it as often as you need. We’ll continue to update it and add to it over time.

Awareness months, weeks, & days to celebrate your dogs, cats, and furry friends

January

Days

National Pet Travel Safety Day - January 2

National Bird Day - January 5

National Dress Up Your Pet Day - January 14

Change a Pet’s Life Day - January 24

Seeing Eye Guide Dog Anniversary - January 29

Months

Walk Your Dog Month

The dog poop bag industry is full of greenwashing, but fortunately, we’ve put together a guide on compostable and sustainable dog poop bags and alternatives.

National Train Your Dog Month

Unchain A Dog Month

Adopt a Rescued Bird Month

February

Days

National Hedgehog Day - February 2

National Golden Retriever Day - February 3

Pet Theft Awareness Day - February 14

Love Your Pet Day - February 20

Walking the Dog Day - February 22

World Spay Day - February 22

Weeks

Bird Health Awareness Week - February 20 to 26

Homes for Birds Week - 2nd week of February

Months

Pet Dental Health Month

Responsible Pet Owners Month

Spay/Neuter Awareness Month

National Prevent a Litter Month

Dog Training Education Month

National Cat Health Month

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month

March

Days

International Rescue Cat Day - March 2

Save a Spider Day - March 14

World Puppy Day - March 23

Weeks

Professional Pet Sitters Week - 1st week of March

National Pet Poison Prevention Week - 3rd week of March

Months

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month

National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month

April

Days

National Ferret Day - April 2

National Pet Health Insurance Day - April 7

National Dog Fighting Awareness Day - April 8

National Pet Day - April 11

Read and share the ultimate guide on how to celebrate National Pet Day

World Hamster Day - April 12

National Pet Parents Day - April 14

National Lost Dog Awareness Day - April 23

Adopt a Shelter Pet Day - April 30

National Therapy Animal Day - April 30

International Guide Dog Day - Last Wednesday of April

World Veterinary Day - Last Saturday of April

Get inspired with our list of famous veterinarians who inspire us to make a difference for animals

Weeks

National Dog Bite Prevention Week - Week-long event in early April

International Pooper Scooper Week - 1st week of April

National Raw Feeding Week - 1st week of April

National Pet ID Week - April 17 to 23

Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week - 3rd week of April

Months

National Adopt-a-Greyhound Month

National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month

Active Dog Month

Celebrate your active dog by getting them an eco-friendly dog bed

May

Days

National Purebred Dog Day - May 1

Mayday for Mutts - 1st Sunday of May

National Dog Mom Day - 2nd Saturday of May

Check out the ultimate guide to gifts for dog lovers (that give back)

International Chihuahua Appreciation Day - May 14

National Rescue Dog Day - May 20

Read and share these reasons to adopt a rescue dog

World Turtle Day - May 23

Read this good news story about drones protecting turtles

World Parrot Day - May 31

Weeks

National Pet Week - 1st full week of May

Follow your new favorite pet influencers on social media

Puppy Mill Action Week - 1st week of May

June

Days

International Corgi Day - June 4

World Pet Memorial Day - 2nd Tuesday of June

Take Your Cat to Work Day - 3rd Monday of June

Veterinary Appreciation Day - June 18

Get inspired with our list of famous veterinarians who inspire us to make a difference for animals

Ugliest Dog Day - June 20

While not exactly dog-focused, check out this collection of ugly animals (and learn how to protect them)

Take Your Dog to Work Day - Friday after Father’s Day

Weeks

Pet Appreciation Week - 1st week of June

Dog Bite Awareness Week - 2nd week of June

Rabbit Awareness Week - Last week of June

Take Your Pet to Work Week - Week-long event in June

Months

National Pet Preparedness Month

July

Days

ID Your Pet Day - July 1

National Koi Day - July 7

National Kitten Day - July 10

National Pet Fire Safety Day - July 15

Guinea Pig Appreciation Day - July 16

National Mutt Day - July 31

Weeks

National Feed a Rescue Pet Week - 3rd week of July

Months

National Lost Pet Prevention Month 

National Pet Hydration Month

Dog House Repair Month

August

Days

International Cat Day - August 8

Spoil Your Dog Day - August 10

World Lizard Day - August 14

Black Cat Appreciation Day - August 17

International Take Your Cat to the Vet Day - August 22

International Homeless Animals Day - 3rd Saturday of August

International Dog Day - August 26

Read our curated collection of good news about dogs

National Holistic Pet Day - August 30

Weeks

International Assistance Dog Week - 1st week of August

Give a Dog a Bone Week - August 10 to 16

Months

National Immunization Awareness Month

September

Days

National Iguana Awareness Day - September 8

National Dog Walker Appreciation Day - September 8

National Pet Memorial Day - 2nd Sunday of September

Puppy Mill Awareness Day - 3rd Saturday of September

Responsible Dog Ownership Day - 3rd Saturday of September

Remember Me Thursday - 4th Thursday of September

World Rabies Day - September 28

Weeks

National Deaf Dog Awareness Week - Week of September 24

Months

Animal Pain Awareness Month

National Pet Insurance Month

National Guide / Service Dog Month

National Pet Memorial Month

Pet Sitter Education Month

Responsible Dog Ownership Month

Read about these organizations helping dogs when their owners are in need

October

Days

National Black Dog Day - October 1

World Farm Animals Day - October 2

Read this unique good news story about… potty training cows

World Animal Day - October 4

Kindness to Animals Day - October 4

Choose today to do a random act of kindness for animals or start thinking about next month’s World Kindness Day

National Pet Obesity Awareness Day - October 13

National Fetch Day - 3rd Saturday of October

National Pug Day - October 15

Learn about how Doug the Pug is making a difference for kids with cancer

Global Cat Day - October 16

Make a Dog’s Day - October 22

National Pit Bull Awareness Day - October 26

National Cat Day - October 29

Weeks

National Walk Your Dogs Week - 1st week of October

Months

World Animal Month

Pet Wellness Month

Adopt-a-Dog Month

Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month

National Pit Bull Awareness Month

November

Days

National Cook For Your Pets Day - November 1

Learn about this innovative pet food solution to reduce your pet’s carbon paw-print

National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day - November 7

National Dog Show - November 24

Weeks

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week - 1st week of November

Read about this innovative animal shelter making a difference for their whole community

Months

National Senior Pet Month

Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Learn about the inspiring work being done by the ‘We Rate Dogs’ community to support dogs with cancer and other medical problems‍

Pet Diabetes Month

National Prevent a Litter Month

December

Days

Celebrate Shelter Pets Day - December 5

International Day of Veterinary Medicine - December 9

Get inspired with our list of famous veterinarians who inspire us to make a difference for animals

International Animal Rights Day - December 10

Months

National Cat Lovers Month

More Awareness Calendars: All Awareness Holidays | Heritage Months | International Days | Animals | Pets | Environment & Sustainability | LGBTQ+ | Black & African American | Mental Health | Disability | Cancer | HIV/AIDS

Awareness Days & Months: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

‍Is this list missing a holiday or awareness week/month? Let us know. We want to ensure this list is comprehensive and inclusive.

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