Did you know that there are over 140 national days dedicated to pets, animals and veterinarians?
To help pet owner, animal enthusiast, wildlife admirers and, of course, vets, find the national days dedicated to our furry, feathered, and/or scaly friends, we have arranged this list chronologically, starting from January and finishing with December.
What then are these National Pet Days and Veterinary Awareness Days, really? Well, quite often these days are really like a little party for pets and the people who care for them. For example, there’s a ‘Dress Up Your Pet Day’ in January — imagine all the adorable outfits! 🐶👗 And then in April, there’s ‘National Pet Day’ where it’s all about spoiling our pets rotten. 😊
For veterinarians, there are days like World Veterinary Day, Vet Nurse Day and Take Your Cat to the Vet Day.
Finally, there are all the different animal days — there’s one for nearly every creature you can think of, from frogs to tigers!
These national days are a great way to spread awareness and show some love for our animal buddies, plus a perfect excuse for some extra cuddles. So mark your calendars and maybe plan some events around these days. It could be a lot of fun!
If you’re only looking for the biggest ones, here they are: National Dog Day is on August 26. World Cat Day is on August 8. On March 3 we celebrate World Wildlife Day. World Veterinary Day is always celebrated on the last Saturday in April. And maybe most importantly, April 11 is always National Pet Day. However, these are merely the frosting on the cake – there are over a hundred other animal-related holidays to celebrate each year!
National Days for Pets and Vets
We love animals. Animals offer unconditional love and companionship, enriching our lives with joy and comfort. They connect us to the natural world, reminding us of our role in the larger ecosystem and the importance of conservation. So why not celebrate them a bit extra? Our list of animal days, pet days and daysfor veterinarians puts all these different fun national days in the same list, making them easy to find.
January
January 2: Happy Mew Year for Cats Day
January 2: National Pet Travel Safety Day
January 5: National Bird Day
January 10: National Save The Eagles Day
January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 20: National Penguin Day
January 21: Squirrel Appreciation Day
January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
January 24: Change a Pet’s Life Day
February
February 1: National Serpent Day
February 2: National Hedgehog Day
February 3: Doggy Date Night
February 3: National Golden Retriever Day
February 14: Pet Theft Awareness Day
February 20: National Love Your Pet Day
February 22: National Walking the Dog Day
February 22: National Wildlife Day (also celebrated on February 22)
February (last Tuesday in February): World Spay Day
February 23: International / National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
February 27: International Polar Bear Day
March
March 1: National Horse Protection Day
March 1: National Pig Day
March 3: World Wildlife Day
March 3: If Pets Had Thumbs Day
March 13: K9 Veterans Day
March 20: World Frog Day
March 22: International Day of the Seal
March 23: Cuddly Kitten Day
March 23: National Puppy Day
March 28: Respect Your Cat Day
March (last Wednesday in March): Manatee Appreciation Day
April
April 2: National Ferret Day
April 4: World Rat Day
April 4: World Stray Animals Day
April 6: National Siamese Cat Day
April 7: International Beaver Day
April 8: National Zoo Lovers Day
April 10: National Farm Animals Day
April 10: National Hug Your Dog Day
April 11: National Pet Day
April 14: National Dolphin Day
April 17: International Bat Appreciation Day
April 19: National Cat Lady Day
April 21: National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
April 23: National Lost Dogs Awareness Day
April (last Sunday in April): National Pet Parents Day
April 25: World Penguin Day
April 26: National Kids and Pets Day
April (last Wednesday in April): International Guide Dog Day
April (last Saturday in April): World Veterinary Day
April 30: National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May
May 3:National Specially-Able Pets Day a.k.a. Disabled Pets Day
May 8: National Dog Mom’s Day
May 20: National Rescue Dog Day
May (3rd Friday in May): Endangered Species Day
May 23: World Turtle Day
June
June 4: International Corgi Day
June 4: National Hug Your Cat Day
June (1st Saturday in June): National Black Bear Day
June 18: Ugliest Dog Day
June (Friday following Father’s Day): Take Your Dog To Work Day
June 21: World Giraffe Day
June (3rd Monday in June): Take Your Cat To Work Day
June 25: Cat World Domination Day
July
July 10: National Kitten Day
July 10: Don’t Step on a Bee Day
July 11: All American Pet Photo Day
July (2nd Tuesday in July): Cow Appreciation Day
July 14: Shark Awareness Day
July 15: National I Love Horses Day
July 16: World Snake Day
July 29: International Tiger Day
July 31: National Mutt Day (also December 2)
August
August 1: DOGust 1st a.k.a. Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs #dogust
November is more than Thanksgiving and getting ready for Christmas, it is also a time to remember our feline friends (National Black Cat Day) and, moreover, to pamper our beloved furry friends (National Cook for Your Pets Day)!
November 1: National Cook for Your Pets Day
November 3: World Jellyfish Day
November (1st Saturday in November): National Bison Day
In addition to the six separate national pet days celebrated in December, cat owners can celebrate National Cat Lovers’ Month throughout the last month of the year!
December 2: National Mutt Day (also July 31)
December 4: International Cheetah Day
December 4: World Wildlife Conservation Day
December 10: International Animal Rights Day
December 14: Monkey Day #WorldMonkeyDay #MonkeyDay
Hi! My name is Katia, the passionate creator behind Digital Hygge. I'm the proud creator of two best-selling National Days Calendars on Etsy and have been in online content publishing since 2013. I love sharing my research on national and international days and designing both free and paid printables for my readers. Let's make every day a celebration!