Do you get stuck when it comes to content ideas, and find yourself staring at a blank page at the start of every week or month?
If so, Pet Business awareness days can be a really helpful way to wave goodbye to the blank page and give you different topics to talk about in your pet business content.
I’m Rachel Spencer and my background is in journalism. For many years, when I wrote pet-related stories, I used awareness days to come up with ideas.
I then launched an award-winning pet blog and wrote posts every month around relevant awareness days.
That really helped with SEO and with building my audience and authority, and it ultimately led to the coaching business I have today.
If you’d like all of the pet business awareness days at your fingertips, my Pet Business Content Planner is the tool for you.
It’s a physical A5 desk diary with all of the animal-related awareness days in it, so you can choose the ones that are most relevant to you and plan your content around them.
In this blog post, I’m sharing a handful from each month to give you an idea of what’s inside the planner. If you’d like a copy, head to the shop section of my website to order yours.
January
- Thursday 21 January – Squirrel Appreciation Day. If you’re a dog trainer, use this day to talk about why dogs chase squirrels, why recall matters and how to better understand prey drive.
- Sunday 24 January – Change a Pet’s Life Day. Tell the story of a pet you’ve worked with, talk about your own pet and how you changed their life, or give a shout out to a rescue you support.
February
- Sunday 14 February – Pet Theft Awareness Day. Create practical content that people will find reassuring, like how you keep the pets in your care safe, from how your van works to locking gates and not showing your location. You could also shine a spotlight on people who help find missing dogs. Maybe there’s someone in your area who searches for missing animals, or you could highlight the work of DogLost, how they support owners and what people need to do if they want to get in touch.
- Friday 19 February – National Whippet Day. This was created by Debbie Humphrey from Redhound for Dogs, who is also the author of a book about whippets. If you’ve got whippets in your world, this is your chance to talk about these wonderful dogs. Share what it’s like working with a whippet, what whippet owners need to know and what makes them such great dogs.
March
- Saturday 20 March – Dogs in Yellow Day. This was created by Sarah Jones from My Anxious Dog, who has an anxious Cocker Spaniel called Bella. When Sarah realised Bella was anxious, she started looking into how yellow is used to show that a dog needs a bit of space and doesn’t want to be petted, played with or have other dogs run up to them. She started a product business first, and that led her to create Dogs in Yellow Day, an awareness initiative to help people understand what a dog in yellow means.
- Saturday 27 March – National Terrier Day. This was created by Michelle Burgess to celebrate all things terrier. Terriers have big personalities, which makes for easy, fun content. Share your terrier stories, or the breed you see most of.
April
- Friday 2 April – Don’t Walk Your Dog Day. This was created by Niki French, author of the book Stop Walking Your Dog. Niki realised that skipping the daily walk was exactly what some dogs needed. Rather than being made to go round the block twice a day, staying at home could help them feel calmer and more content, and build their confidence. So she created a day about it. Niki encourages people to try sniffing games and enrichment activities, and she’s a big fan of ACE Free Work. You can find out lots more about Niki on her website, puptalk.co.uk.
- Saturday 3 April – National Handmade Day. If you work really hard making beautiful products by hand, show the process behind bringing what you create to life, from start to finish. Share a little about you, the person behind the brand, too. People love knowing about people.
- Friday 30 April – Sighthound Spotlight Day. This was created by Clare Ware from Insight Hounds to shine a spotlight on greyhounds, whippets and lurchers. Sighthounds can be sensitive and need extra care, which is why Clare started the day. Share what owners of these breeds need to know, from keeping them warm to how active they are and what they enjoy doing.
May
- Thursday 20 May – National Groom Your Cat Day. This was created by Katie Gwilt, The Kat Lady, a cat groomer and educator. Katie wants the day to be about showing owners how to groom their cats at home, how to care for them and what to check for to support their health, and also when it’s time to work with a professional.
- Saturday 29 May – National Dog Friendly Day. Made for anything dog friendly, from holiday cottages to cafes and pubs, to celebrate the places that go above and beyond to make dogs feel welcome. No “paws off the floor” rules here, just the red carpet. If you know a brilliant dog-friendly place you can spotlight, now’s the time to shout about it.
June
- Tuesday 8 June – World Pet Memorial Day. We’ve all had pets we’ve loved and lost. You might share a story about an animal who came into your life and what they meant to you, or encourage your audience to remember pets they’ve lost. If you have a product that helps people remember their pets, you can talk about that too. It’s a space to remember the lovely animals who touch our lives and make things better.
- Friday 25 June – Take Your Dog to Work Day. Maybe you’re a behaviourist who helps businesses make their offices dog friendly. Maybe something really funny happened when you took your dog to work, or you have a brilliantly dog-friendly workplace. Use the day to show what it’s all about and talk about the ideal setup for a dog going into the office.
July
- Thursday 1 July – Pet Travel Safety Day. This was created by Claire Harris from Pets2Places. Rule 57 of the Highway Code says animals should be suitably restrained in a vehicle, but most pet owners don’t know that, and know very little about which equipment is safe. If you’re involved in an accident, it can be fatal for an unrestrained dog, and for you too. Claire is on a mission to change that, and you can find out more on her website.
- Wednesday 14 July – Put Your Dog on a Lead Day. This was created by Zoe Willingham from Best Behaviour Dog Training. She was fed up of seeing and hearing about dogs on lead having rude, off-lead dogs barge up to them and upset them, so she created a day to encourage people to be a bit more considerate. Use the day to talk about when a dog should be on a lead, for example around livestock, wildlife, roads and other dogs who need a bit of space.
- Sunday 18 July – Dog Training Appreciation Day. This was created by Kirsty Everard from Kirsty’s Paws to highlight the importance of dog training, and to show some appreciation for the dog trainers who work really hard to keep dogs and owners together.
- Monday 26 July – National Dog Photography Day. This was created by Kerry Jordan, a commercial photographer for pet brands, to celebrate our lovely dogs and turn social media into a flurry of dog faces for the day. Get involved by sharing photos of your dog, whether it’s a funny one or your favourite, or share your photography tips if you’re a photographer. We can never have too many pictures of dogs on social media. You can find out more about Kerry’s work at furandfables.com.
August
- Thursday 26 August – National Dog Day. With a day like this, you can do whatever you like. Share how much you love your dog, use it for your dog brand or pitch a story to journalists. There are all kinds of things you can do, so get it planned.
- Monday 30 August – National Holistic Pet Day. Holistic practitioner work is still relatively new, and many dog owners don’t really understand what it is. Explain what a holistic approach means, whether that’s for grooming, skincare, products, training or behaviour work, and help owners see that holistic can apply to their dogs as well as to them.
September
- Tuesday 14 September – Canine Regulation Awareness Day. This was created by Nina Fotara. We hear a lot about emotional regulation for humans, but not for dogs, so Nina wanted to open up the conversation about how to help our dogs feel more regulated, calm and at ease. The day is part of Canine Regulation Awareness Week, and you can find out more about Nina’s work at canineregulation.org.
- Saturday 18 September – Love Your Dog Groomer Day. This was created by Anna Foster from The Doghouse Leicester, who wanted to showcase the brilliant work groomers do. Being a dog groomer isn’t for the faint-hearted and it can be pretty tough, so Anna wanted to give people a chance to show some appreciation. If you’re a groomer, share what the job’s really like and a bit of what goes on behind the scenes, including the challenging side you might not usually share and the funny things that happen, anything that might inspire your community to show you some love. If you’re a pet pro with a groomer in your area you’d like to support, use the day to shine a spotlight on them. Find out more at thedoghouseleicester.co.uk.
- Thursday 30 September – Dog Separation Anxiety Day. This was created by Jo Sellers, a dog trainer at Pippin Pets, to share the signs of separation anxiety, what owners can do if they think their dog is anxious, and that help is out there.
- Thursday 30 September – Pet Tricks Day. A fun day created by Joe Nutkins, a dog trainer at Dog Training Essex and Suffolk. Have some fun with your dog and share their best trick, or teach one in a short video if you’re a pet pro.
October
- Saturday 2 October – Canine Companion Day. This was created by Kate Taylor from dotty4paws.co.uk to celebrate the joy dogs bring to our lives and why they make such good companions. Kate is a blogger who loves travelling with her two dogs, Winnie and Gertie, and they were the inspiration for the day.
- Sunday 3 October – National Warm Dogs Day. This was created by Jane Kelly from Couch and Chase, who makes accessories to keep dogs warm and comfortable as winter kicks in. The day is about helping owners understand when their dog might need a bit of extra help to keep warm, and the kind of things that can help.
- Tuesday 12 October – World Arthritis Day. If you work with animals of any age, arthritis will come up. There are some really good resources for dogs on the Canine Arthritis Management website that you can signpost owners to. Talk about how to support older dogs as they lose mobility, the signs owners need to look out for, and how to prepare your home and your life as your dog gets older.
- Sunday 31 October – Muddy Dog Day. This was created by Jo Milnes from Distinctive Pets to celebrate the joys of having a muddy dog. Talk about the products you use for the muddy dog clean-up, places to go if you’d rather avoid a muddy dog, or the funniest thing your dog has done in the mud, and have lots of fun with this one.
November
- Friday 12 November – World Animal Enrichment Day. This was created by Sarah White from Ruffle Snuffle, who makes snuffle mats and lots of other enrichment products, which is where the idea for the day came from. Talk about what enrichment is and why it’s important for animals, and share ideas people can try at home, from sniffing games to puzzle feeders.
- Thursday 25 November – National Dog Breeder Day. This was created by Rebecca Norton-Childs from Pup Starts Breeders to talk about what makes a responsible breeder, what goes into raising a litter well, and what people should look for when they’re thinking about getting a puppy and want to find the right, ethical breeder. Rebecca runs a conference every November, so if you’d like to learn more about puppies and breeding, it’s well worth a look for your CPD.
- Independent Pet Brand Awareness Week, the week before Black Friday. This was created by Kerry Jordan from Fur and Fables, who was fed up of seeing big corporates take over on Black Friday while small businesses struggled. The week is all about sticking two fingers up to big business and encouraging people to shop small. Each day there are different tasks and activities to shine a spotlight on independent pet brands and why they deserve to be supported. You can find out more and get involved on Kerry’s website.
December
- Wednesday 1 December – National Twin With Your Dog Day. This was created by Kim O’Donnell from Leo, Charley and Me as a fun day to show how you dress like your dog. Even huge fashion brands like Burberry have made doggy versions of their classic pieces. The day is all about having fun and sharing pictures of you and your dog twinning. Find out more about Kim and her work at leocharleyandme.co.uk.
- Saturday 4 December – Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday celebrates the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses and encourages everyone to support them, especially by shopping small. The day itself falls on the first Saturday in December, and the campaign runs all year round to shine a light on the small businesses that make such a difference to our communities and the economy. It’s backed by American Express, and from independent shops to local service providers, the aim is simple: to help small businesses thrive. Use the day to show people how they can help you, whether that’s liking, commenting on and sharing your social media posts, leaving you a review, recommending you to a friend, or buying from you instead of a big corporate. And don’t forget to thank the customers who already support you.
How to use pet business awareness days without posting about every one
- Pick the ones that fit. If a day has nothing to do with what you sell or who you serve, skip it. Nobody will notice.
- Plan them in advance. Use them to support what you’re promoting that month, so they aren’t a last-minute post on the morning.
- Ask what your clients would want to know on the day. A tip, a story or a question gets much more engagement = eyes on your work.
- One good post beats five rushed ones.
Want all the pet business awareness days in one place?
The planner has every awareness day for 2027 on its monthly calendars, with monthly and weekly awareness, content prompts and space to plan.
Get the 2027 Pet Business Content Planner
For more support, you can join The Planner Club, which is a membership community for pet pros who want to plan then do the work.
Each month there’s a Q and A call, a planning call, a coworking morning, plus lots of resources to help you with self-promotion, and a Facebook community.
A note on dates
All dates were correct at the time of going to print. Awareness days and similar events may be created, moved, renamed or cancelled at any time by third parties, so please check current details before planning.
Further reading
How to create a social media calendar (free resource in this post)
How to use awareness days in your pet business
How to use awareness days to get press coverage
How to create a viral awareness day with Kerry Jordan
