2021 Pet Holidays: 175+ Days, Weeks, and Months for Dog Lovers
There are so many fun national pet holidays! With more added every year, how do you keep track of them so your dog doesn’t miss out? (As a ball dog, Goldendoodle Chloe wouldn’t miss National Fetch Day. 🎾 In fact, what day isn’t a fetch day!?!)
Whether you’re a dog mom planning your dog’s Instagram feed or you simply love to celebrate pet holidays with your furry friend, you’ve come to the right place.
Your Dog Will Love You for Adding These Days on Your Calendar
With this ultimate list of pet holidays, pet awareness days, and vet appreciation days, you’ll save time and effort searching through national day calendars to find the holidays that are perfect for your furry pal. Our ultimate pet holidays calendar for 2021 includes:
- Pet holidays, pet awareness days
- Dog holidays
- Veterinary appreciation days
- Dog-friendly events
Plus, because we’re all about sharing happiness here at Happy-Go-Doodle, we’ve sniffed out fun and unique days that our dogs would circle on the calendar too!
We’ve included fun days that our doggos would love to celebrate like National Peanut Butter Day, National Go For a Ride Day, and National Squirrel Appreciation Day. 🐿
So let’s have some pet-friendly fun in 2021! That means taking every opportunity to celebrate and bond with our furry pals.
January Pet Holidays in 2021
Month-long celebrations in January:
- Walk Your Dog Month
- Train Your Dog Month
Days to celebrate in January:
- January 2 ~ National Pet Travel Safety Day 🚙
- January 6 ~ National Cuddle Up Day
- January 12~ Kiss a Ginger Day 😘
- January 14 ~ National Dress Up Your Pet Day 👕
- January 21 ~ National Hugging Day
- January 21 ~ Squirrel Appreciation Day 🐿
- January 24 ~ National Peanut Butter Day (Safety first: Make sure peanut butter does not include xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.) 🥜
- January 24 ~ National Compliment Day
- January 24 ~ National Change a Pet’s Life Day
- January 26 ~ National Plan for Vacation Day 🏖 (Need ideas? Read our article on dog-friendly Amelia Island, Fl.)
- January 29 ~ National Puzzle Day
February Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in February:
- Pet Dental Health Month (Ready to brush up? Get a dog mom’s pearls of wisdom on how to brush your dog’s teeth.)
- Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
- Responsible Pet Owners Month
Week-long celebrations and awareness events in February:
- Professional Pet Sitters Week (7-13)
- Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week (7-14)
Events: Puppy Bowl, Kitty Bowl
Days to celebrate in February:
- February 2 ~ Sled Dog Day ❄️
- February 3 ~ Doggy Date Night
- February 3 ~ National Golden Retriever Day
- February 4 ~ National Thank a Mail Carrier Day 💌
- February 6 ~ National Frozen Yogurt Day
- February 11 ~ National Make a Friend Day
- February 17 ~ National Random Acts of Kindness Day
- February 19 ~ National Tug-of-War Day
- February 20 ~ National Love Your Pet Day ❤️
- February 22 ~ National Walking the Dog Day 🐾 (Have you taken your dog on a Sniffari? Find out how and get 29 more things to do with your dog. )
- February 22 ~ Beagle Day
- February 23 ~ National Dog Biscuit Day
- February 23 ~ World Spay Day
- February 27 ~ National Strawberry Day 🍓
March Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long awareness event in March: National Pet Poison Prevention Month
Events: Crufts (moved to March for 2021)
- 7-13 Professional Pet Sitters Week
- 20-26 Poison Prevention Week (3rd week of March)
Days to celebrate in March:
- March 3 ~ National I Want You to Be Happy Day 😊
- March 3 ~ National If Pets Had Thumbs Day
- March 13 ~ National K9 Veterans Day
- March 14 ~ National Learn About Butterflies Day 🦋
- March 15 ~ National Napping Day 💤
- March 16 ~ Everything You Do is Right Day
- March 19 ~ National Let’s Laugh Day 🤣
- March 21 ~ National Goof Off Day
- March 23 ~ National Puppy Day 🐶
- March 28 ~ Respect Your Cat Day 🐱
- March 30 ~ National Take a Walk in the Park Day 🌳
April Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
HELPFUL TIP: Bookmark this page so you can refer to it throughout the year.
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in April:
- Canine Fitness Month
- Adopt a Greyhound Month
- National Heartworm Awareness Month
- ASPCA’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Week-long celebrations and awareness events in April:
- International Pooper Scooper Week (first week in April)
- National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week (second week in April)
- 17 – 24 National Pet ID Week (starts April 17)
- Dog Bite Prevention Week (second week)
Days to celebrate in April:
- April 8 ~ Dog Farting Awareness Day 🐶 💨 🤣
- April 11 ~ National Pet Day
- April 21 ~ National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
- April 23 ~ National Lost Dogs Awareness Day
- April 24 ~ National Sense of Smell Day 🐽
- April 23 ~ National Picnic Day 🧺
- April 25 ~ National Pet Parents Day (last Sunday in April)
- April ~ World Veterinary Day (last Saturday in April) 🥼
- April 26 ~ National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
- April 26 ~ National Kids and Pets Day
- April 28 ~ International Guide Dog Day
- April 30 ~ National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
May Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in May:
- Chip Your Pet Month
- National Pet Month
- National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
Week-long celebrations in February: National Pet Week (first full week)
Days to celebrate in May:
- May 3 ~ National Garden Meditation Day
- May 3 ~ National Specially-Abled Pets Day
- May ~ National Dog Mom’s Day (second Saturday in May) 💜
- May ~ National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day (second Saturday in May)
- May ~ 9 National Lost Sock Memorial Day 🧦
- May 15 ~ National Day of Families
- May 15 ~ National Learn to Swim Day (Practice water safety for 🐶 too!)
- May 16 ~ National Love a Tree Day 🐶 ❤️ 🌳
- May 20 ~ National Pick Strawberries Day
- May 30 ~ National Water a Flower Day 💦 🌸
- May 31 ~ National Smile Day 😊
June Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in June:
- National Pet Preparedness Month
- Adopt-a-Cat Month
Week-long celebrations in February: Pet Appreciation Week (first full week of June)
Event: June 11 – 14 Westminster Dog Show (outdoors in 2021)
Days to celebrate in June:
- June 1 ~ National Say Something Nice Day
- June 2 ~ National Running Day 👟🐾
- June 2 ~ National Leave the Office Early Day 🕓
- June 4 ~ Corgi Day
- June 4 ~ National Hug Your Cat Day 🐈
- June 8 ~ National Best Friends Day
- June 13 ~ National Weed Your Garden Day
- June 14 ~ International Bath Day 🐶 🛁
- June 15 ~ National Smile Power Day
- June 17 ~ National Eat Your Vegetables Day (Dogs too! 🥕 🥦)
- June 18 ~ Veterinary Appreciation Day (Use hashtag #veterinarylove)
- June 22 ~ National Kissing Day 😘
- June 25 ~ National Take Your Dog to Work Day 🐕
July Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in July:
- Lost Pet Prevention Month
- Pet Hydration Month
- National Doghouse Repairs Month
Events: July 15 -18 Crufts Dog Show 🏆
Days to celebrate in July:
- July 3 ~ National Play Outside Day (first Saturday of every month)
- July 10 ~ National Kitten Day
- July 11 ~ All American Pet Photo Day 📷
- July 15 ~ National Pet Fire Safety Day
- July 19 ~ National Get Out of the Doghouse Day
- July 30 ~ International Friendship Day
- July 31 ~ National Mutt Day
August Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Week-long awareness events in February: International Assistance Dog Week (first week of August)
Days to celebrate in August:
- 1 Dogust 1st – Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs 🥳
- August ~ National Friendship Day (first Sunday of August)
- August 5 ~ National Work Like a Dog Day
- August 6 ~ National Fresh Breath Day
- August 8 ~ International Cat Day 😺
- August 8 ~ National Happiness Happens Day 😁
- August 8 ~ Odie Day
- August 10 ~ National Spoil Your Dog Day 🐩
- August 15 ~ Check the Chip Day
- August 15 ~ National Relaxation Day
- August 17 ~ National Black Cat Appreciation Day
- August 21 ~ International Homeless Animals Day
- August 22 ~ National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
- August 23 ~ International Blind Dog Day
- August 26~ National Dog Day 🐶
- August 28 ~ Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day 🌈
- August 28 ~ National Thoughtful Day
- August 30 ~ National Holistic Pet Day
September Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in September:
- Pet Health Insurance Month
- National Guide/Service Dog Month
- Responsible Dog Ownership Month
- Pet Sitter Education Month
- Animal Pain Awareness Month
Days to celebrate in September:
- September 9 ~ National Teddy Bear Day 🐻
- September 12 ~ National Pet Memorial Day
- September 12 ~ National Day of Encouragement
- September ~ National Hug Your Hound Day (second Sunday in September)
- September 17 ~ National Pet Bird Day 🐦
- September 18 ~ National Dance Day 🩰
- September 18 ~ National Responsible Dog Ownership Day
- September ~ National Family Day (fourth Monday in September)
- September 28 ~ World Rabies Day
- September 30 ~ National Love People Day
October Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in October: National Pet Wellness Month, Adopt-a-Dog Month, Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month, National Animal Safety and Protection Month
Week-long celebrations and awareness events in October:
- October 1-7 ~ Walk Your Dog Week
- October 11-17 ~ National Veterinary Technician Week
Days to celebrate in October:
- October 1 ~ World Smile Day 😁
- October 1 ~ National Hair Day
- October 1 ~ National Fire Pup Day 🚒
- October 1 ~ National Black Dog Day 🐕🦺
- October 5 ~ National Get Funky Day
- October 5 ~ National Do Something Nice Day
- October ~ National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work/School Day (second Wednesday in October) 🐻
- October 13 ~ National Pet Obesity Day
- October 16 ~ National Fetch Day 🎾
- October 19 ~ National New Friends Day
- October 22 ~ National Make a Dog’s Day 🐕🦺
- October 21 ~ National Pets for Veterans Day
- October 26 ~ National Pit Bull Awareness Day
November Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations and awareness events in November: National Senior Pet Month/Senior Pet Adoption Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, Pet Diabetes Month
Days to celebrate in November:
- November 1 ~ National Cook for Your Pets Day 🥦
- November 1 ~ International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day
- November 5 ~ National Love Your Red Hair Day ( red Goldendoodles too)
- November ~ National Play Outside Day (first Saturday of the month) 🌲
- November 7 ~ National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day
- November 13 ~ World Kindness Day
- November 14 ~ National Seat Belt Day
- November 17 ~ National Hiking Day & National Take A Hike Day 🌲🐶
- November 18 ~ National Princess Day
- November 21 ~ World Hello Day 🌎
- November 22 ~ Go For a Ride Day 🚗 🐶
December Pet Holidays and Awareness Days in 2021
Month-long celebrations in December: National Cat Lovers’ Month
Days to celebrate in December:
- December 2 ~ National Mutt Day
- December 4 ~ National Sock Day 🧦
- December 5 ~ Bathtub Party Day 🛁 (A great day to give your dog a bath!)
- December 9 ~ International Day of Veterinary Medicine 🩺
- December 10 ~ International Animal Rights Day
- December 15 ~ Cat Herders Day
- December 18 ~ National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 🎄
For my Goldendoodle loving friends…
You may be wondering why National Goldendoodle dog day is not listed on the 2021 pet holidays calendar. Here is the 4-1-1: I checked all the national day calendars and have not found an official date for 2021. Fear not! As soon as our fun-loving pack sniffs out the official date, we’ll let you know!
Have furry fun in 2021!
Thank you for letting us play a small part in helping you plan an entire year of pet-friendly adventures and fun!
If you could create a holiday for your pet, what would it be called?
We’d love to hear. Please comment below.