- Mikaela Vargas
The 2020 List of Pet & US Holidays + How To Strategically Implement Them In Your Content
Updated: Dec 20, 2019
Honestly, the days of 'not knowing what to post' are ALMOST over...in the sense that so many of us default to ONLY sharing cute pictures of dogs and adding in the day's random holiday!
I really want to challenge you NOT to simply default to this, as it doesn't do anything for your audience, it doesn't set you apart, and it's just overall lazy (let's be honest!). Social media and content can be a beautiful thing for your business with the right strategy, so I'd love to guide you on how to successfully use pet and US holidays in your content (and how NOT to do it!).
So, first things first...
The List of 2020 Pet Holidays
January Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
Walk Your Pet Month
Weight Loss Awareness Month
National Train Your Dog Month
Daily Pet Holidays
January 2: National Pet Travel Safety Day
January 8: Bubble Bath Day
January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 16: Get To Know Your Customers Day
January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
January 24: Change A Pet’s Life Day
Daily US Holidays
January 1: New Year's Day
January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
Pet Dental Health Month
Dog Training Education Month
National Cat Health Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
Daily Pet Holidays
February 3: National Golden Retriever Day
February 10-11: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
February 19: International Tug-of-War Day
February 20: Love Your Pet Day
February 22: Walking The Dog Day
February 25: World Spay Day
Daily US Holidays
February 2: Groundhog Day
February 2: Super Bowl
February 14: Valentine’s Day
February 17: President's Day
February 25: Mardi Gras
March Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations Poison Prevention Awareness Month
March 1-8: Professional Pet Sitters Week
Daily Pet Holidays
March 13: K9 Veterans Day
March 23: National Puppy Day
March 23: Cuddly Kitten Day
March 28: Respect Your Cat Day
March 30: Take a Walk in the Park Day
Daily US Holidays
March 8: Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 17: St. Patrick's Day
April Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet First Aid Month
Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Daily Pet Holidays
April 1-7: National Raw Feeding Week
April 6: National Siamese Cat Day
April 7-13: National Dog Bite Prevention Week
April 10: National Hug Your Dog Day
April 11: National Pet Day
April 16: Get To Know Your Customers Day
April 17-24: National Pet ID Week
April 21: Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
April 23: National Lost Dog Awareness Day
April 24: Hairball Awareness Day
April 25: World Veterinary Day
April 26: National Pet Parents Day
April 29: International Guide Dog Day
April 30: Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
April 30: National Therapy Animal Day
Daily US Holidays
April 1: April Fool’s Day
April 8: Passover Begins
April 12: Easter
April 15: Tax Day
May Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Pet Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Chip Your Pet Month
Daily Pet Holidays
May 1: National Purebred Dog Day
May 3: National Specially-Abled Pets Day
May 3: Mayday for Mutts
May 3-10: Be Kind To Animals Week
May 3-10: Puppy Mill Action Week
May 3-10: National Pet Week
May 9: National Dog Mom Day
May 12: Vet Nurse Day
May 14: International Chihuahua Appreciation Day
May 20: National Rescue Dog Day
May 30: International Hug Your Cat Day
Daily US Holidays
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 10: Mother's Day
May 25: Memorial Day
June Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Adopt a Cat Month
National Pet Preparedness Month
National Microchipping Month
National Foster a Pet Month
Daily Pet Holidays
June 1-7: National Pet Appreciation Month
June 4: Hug Your Cat Day
June 8: National Best Friends Day
June 9: World Pet Memorial Day
June 17: Take Your Cat To Work Day
June 21: Dog Party Day
June 24: Cat World Domination Day
June 26: Take Your Dog To Work Day
Daily US Holidays
June 14: Flag Day
June 21: Father’s Day
July Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Lost Pet Prevention Month
Daily Pet Holidays
July 1: ID Your Pet Day
July 7: International Kissing Day
July 11: All-American Pet Photo Day
July 15: National Pet Fire Safety Day
July 16: Get To Know Your Customers Day
July 31: National Mutt Day
Daily US Holidays
July 4: Fourth of July
July 26: National Parents Day
August Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Immunization Awareness Month
National Back-To-School Month
Daily Pet Holidays
August 4: Assistance Dog Day
August 6: Fresh Breath Day
August 8: National CBD Day
August 8: International Cat Day
August 10: Spoil Your Dog Day
August 15: Check the Chip Day
August 17: Black Cat Appreciation Day
August 22: Take Your Cat To The Vet Day
August 26: National Dog Day
August 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
August 30: Holistic Pet Day
Daily US Holidays
August 17: International Non-Profit Day
September Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
Happy Healthy Cat Month
Back To School Month
National Pet Insurance Month
Pet-Sitter Education Month
Animal Pain Awareness Month
Daily Pet Holidays
September 1: Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
September 13: National Pet Memorial Day
September 13: National Hug Your Hound Day
September 19: Puppy Mill Awareness Day
September 19: AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
September 20-27: National Dog Week
September 20-27: Deaf Pet Awareness Week
September 23: Dogs in Politics Day
September 28: World Rabies Day
Daily US Holidays
September 7: Labor Day
September 11: Anniversary of September 11
September 13: Grandparent's Day
September 18: Rosh Hashanah begins
September 27-28: Yom Kippur
October Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
National Pet Wellness Month
Daily Pet Holidays
October 1: National Black Dog Day
October 1-6: National Walk Your Dog Week
October 4: World Animal Day
October 4: World Pet Day
October 4-10: Animal Welfare Week
October 14: Pet Obesity Awareness Day
October 16: Global Cat Day
October 16: Get To Know Your Customers Day
October 18-24: Veterinary Technician Week
October 24: National Pitbull Awareness Day
October 29: National Cat Day
Daily US Holidays
October 12: Columbus Day
October 31: Halloween
November Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
National Senior Pet Month
National Adoption Month
National Diabetes Month
Daily Pet Holidays
November 1: National Cook for Your Pets Day
November 8-14: National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week
November 7: National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day
November 17: Take A Hike Day
November 21: National Adoption Day
Daily US Holidays
November 1: Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 11: Veterans Day
November 26: Thanksgiving
November 27: Black Friday
November 28: Small Business Saturday
November 30: Cyber Monday
December Holidays
Month-Long Celebrations
National Cat Lovers’ Month
Daily Pet Holidays
December 2: National Mutt Day
December 9: Int'l Day of Veterinary Medicine
Daily US Holidays
December 10: Hannukah begins
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Kwanzaa
December 31: New Year’s Eve
Okay, so now that you have all of these holidays, what do you do with them?
Here are 4 tips to get you started:
Don't oversaturate your feed with too many holidays. Only do a few a month because it can get really overwhelming for your audience and just feel spammy (not authentic).
When picking which holidays to use, try to think about what ACTUALLY applies to your business. For example, if you're a dog walker/pet sitter and don't offer bathing services, you probably don't need to feature Bathing Day. Stick to the ones that REALLY brings up the conversation of what you do, who you serve, and what your message promotes.
Don't just announce the holiday - what's the point to your post? Don't just say hey it's Walk Your Dog Day - have fun! Some options on how to promote engagement is to offer some trail suggestions in your area, ask people where their favorite place to walk is, write about the benefits to your health when you walk, etc. Get involved with the holiday and make it have a point.
Always include call-to-actions (CTA's). Make sure you're asking your audience to take some sort of action, whether it's to love your photo on social media, respond to the comment, share the post, book with you, head to your website, read your blog, share a photo, etc. No matter the size of the request, any CTA is great (and is more likely to lead to future bigger commitments, like booking or purchasing from you).
I hope this helps! If you either just don't have the time to worry about these things or want an expert in your pocket, head on over to Sit. Stay. Grow. It's my partner program with Kaila from Dox Design, where we and our team of pet industry specialists can help you with your content marketing, including social media, blog posts, newsletters, strategy development, graphics, monthly web maintenance, Facebook Ads, and more!
Speaking of Kaila, she put together an amazing 2020 Master Calendar, where she includes graphics, captions, holidays, event ideas, and MORE! It's SO helpful for those looking to do their marketing themselves, but just need some assistance along the way.
Happy 2020 planning, everyone!
