May is full of fun pet holidays to celebrate with your customers. They offer promotional and merchandising opportunities. Speaking of promotional now is a great time to peruse our Astro Offers for the month of May!
This guide contains info about the holiday along with a brief explanation of the assets added to our Astro Marketing Suite along with My Promotion Ideas, Social Media Fun, and Astro Offer Pairings!
May’s Pet Holidays
Month-Long Observances
- National Pet Month (US)
- National Foster Care Month
- Responsible Animal Guardian Month
- Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Week-Long Observances
One-Day Holidays
- May 01: Mayday for Mutts
- May 03: National Specially-Abled Pets Day
- May 04: May the 4th Be With You
- May 05: Cinco de Meow
- May 14: National Dog Mom’s Day
- May 10: German Shepherd Day
- May 14: International Chihuahua Appreciation Day
- May 20: National Rescue Dog Day
- May 28: Feast Day of St. Bernard of Montjoux
- May 30: International Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Day
- May 30: Memorial Day
Month-Long Observances
National Pet Month
If you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, wasn’t it just National Pet Month last month?” you’re absolutely correct. My first thought was every month should be National Pet Month, but this will do. The awesome thing about this holiday is that it’s not exclusionary. ALL Pets are celebrated, as they should be. This means you can pair this holiday with any promotion or Offer you are running. You can use it to share any fun, health, or wellness facts that you’ve been itching to mention.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off your favorite home decor and wearable items – you know – the t-shirts, magnets, and coasters that say “I love my [blank]”. Or you could offer a discount on a pet spa day!
Sharing The Love: All pets deserve a home. Make sure you are sharing posts of all the pets and their new families that come into your store for their Adoption Bundles.
Social Media Fun: Share info you have for pet health and wellbeing.
Hashtag: #NationalPetMonth
National Foster Care Month
National Foster Care Month brings awareness to the good work that foster pet parents are doing in their communities. You can use this holiday to highlight the foster heroes you’ve come to know. Make sure you are communicating with the Fosters, Rescues, and Shelters in your community so they know to tell their newly completed families about your ‘Sharing the Love’ Programs. Sharing the Love is a great way to help further the cause of pet adoption while ensuring pets get off to a healthy start in their new homes!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with awareness info and Sharing the Love Flyer Link and Single Promo/Offer Element for a My Promotion / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: Create a My Promotion for a $/% discount on food or supplies for Fosters. Or create a My Promotion to organize a Food/Supply Drive – If a customer donates a bag of food they get %/$ Off their personal purchase.
Sharing The Love: Team up with your local rescues, especially the Fosters, and let them know that you will help support their foster babies once they enter their new homes.
Social Media Fun: Highlight the heroes in foster that you have come to know! Share links to the rescues and shelters they are involved with.
Hashtag: #NationalFosterCareMonth
Responsible Animal Guardian Month
What tips can you share with your customers about being Responsible Animal Guardians? Do you offer any services or classes related to pet care? Do you ever invite nutritionists to give a guest talk? What about your favorite raw-food rep? This is a great holiday to use to feature your Offers and Promotions that highlight supplements and raw feeding. These extras can make all the difference in the world when it comes to pet health.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Single Promo/Offer Element for a My Promotion / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off a service that you offer that would educate your customers and help them be better pet parents. This could be a Nutrition Consult of a Leash Walking Class. Open it up to young people!
Sharing The Love: Give your new pet parents a shoutout! They saved a life after all. Reshare some of their adoption posts from when they came in to redeem their Adoption Bundle.
Social Media Fun: Share tips for pet health care that cater to your specialty – like raw feeding tips. Check out Doodle Dogs in Calgary for inspiration!
Hashtag: #ResponsibleAnimalGuardianMonth
Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Sponsored by Pet Cancer Awareness and the Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research. Many pet parents are unaware that pet cancer is so prevalent among our furry family members. In fact, cancer is the #1 disease-related threat to the lives of our dogs and cats, with millions of pets being diagnosed every year. But there is still hope.
For over 15 years Blue Buffalo has helped lead the fight against this devastating disease, helping raise more than $30 million.
While researching this holiday we found another organization that is bringing awareness to pet cancer and offering solutions to families in need. The Brodie Fund raises money to offer financial assistance, through grants, to families who have pets fighting cancer.
Brodie was a part of our family and patriarch of the four fabulous felines in the William’s clan. Brodie was also a warrior, a cancer warrior. He was the co-founder of Team Brodie and the inspiration for The Brodie Fund.
Both groups offer unique ways to donate to a good cause – whether that is cancer research or contributing to grants to help families afford their pets’ treatments.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Awareness Info / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Astro Offer: Blue Buffalo has an Astro Offer this month, which would be nice to highlight if you decide to talk about the work they have done related to raising funds for cancer research.
Social Media Fun: Cancer is not a happy topic, but I do find it hopeful when I learn something new about the work being done to find a cure. As we all know, nutrition plays a huge role in both prevention and support during a cancer battle. I’ve seen miracles.
Hashtag: #PetCancerAwarenessMonth
Week-Long Observances
May 1-6: Be Kind to Animals Week
This week-long event has been celebrated since 1915. Always the first full week of May. Building a better world for all of us begins with a few simple actions and American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, is challenging people to commit to protecting and improving the lives of millions of animals during this year’s “Be Kind to Animals Week®” (May 2-8), the oldest commemorative week in U.S. history, and the nation’s longest-running humane education campaign.
Here are a few ways you can get involved and help celebrate “Be Kind to Animals Week®”
Adopt from a Shelter or Rescue.
Commit to Kindness 365 days a year
Show your support on social media #BeKindToAnimalsWeek
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offers and Sharing the Love / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea:
Sharing The Love: Adopt from a Shelter or Rescue is number 2 on the ways to celebrate this holiday!
Social Media Fun: Share the Pledge. Talk about your involvement in Sharing The Love. Bring attention to the cause!
Hashtag: #BeKindToAnimalsWeek
May 1-6: National Pet Week
The month of May is also considered National Pet Month. No matter the time, no matter the place, no matter the day, our pets always make the world a little brighter. Regardless of how tough things may seem, pets eagerly provide comfort, sympathy, and unquestioned understanding when we most need it.
While learning more about the origins of National Pet Week we discovered some cool symbolism reflected in the origin stories relating to the many pets in our lives. This same info was added to a Holiday Template now available for your use.
Dogs: Man’s best friend Dogs have been with humankind for thousands of years as allies and protectors. They represent loyalty, nobility, service, and trustworthiness.
Cats: Four-legged deities From the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, cats symbolize mystery, intuition, cleverness, and independence.
Goldfish: The true four-leaf clovers Kept in domestic households by the ancient Greeks, goldfish were viewed as good luck, harbingers of abundance, harmony, and strong relationships.
Lizards: The original Mr. Sandman Aboriginal culture sees lizards as the guardians of the Dreamtime, the place where the future is formed through dreaming. They are often symbolic of analysis, purposeful change, and rest.
Horses: Graceful dancers Horses have been imbued with meaning and power for centuries, from Celtic culture to modern indigenous peoples. They symbolize unbridled energy, freedom, grace, and strength.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, Sharing the Love Flyer Link, and a Social Media prompt / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off any sale during this week.
Sharing The Love: All pets who come in this week to redeem their Adoption Bundles get an extra gift from you!
Social Media Fun: Ask a Question and invite your customers to share – “What does your pet, or pets, symbolize in your life?” This question was added to the Holiday Template now available for your use. Or it can be added to an Astro Social Post as the caption.
Hashtag: #NationalPetWeek
May 3-9: Dog Anxiety Awareness Week
It is important to recognize that dogs, much like humans, can experience fear and anxiety. Dog Anxiety Awareness Week was started by Assisi Animal Health. It occurs annually on the first full week of May, and it brings much-needed attention to the emotional well-being of your furry friend.
This is an optimal time to share your knowledge of remedying anxiety in dogs. Inform your customers of any supplements or other soothing products that you carry.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offers / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion: $/% any items that you have found to help anxiety in dogs – snuffle matts, difusers, chews, etc.
Sharing The Love: Many of the dogs in the foster system got there because they either had anxiety issues to begin with, or they develop them while in the system. I always discuss anxiety with new dog parents and offer them tips for managing any signs of anxiety.
Social Media Fun: Share tips for managing anxiety in dogs.
Hashtag: #DogAnxietyAwarenessWeek
One Day Holidays
May 2: Mayday for Mutts
To shine a light on the millions of dogs entering U.S. animal shelters every year, Karen Derrico, the author behind the book Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart Not of Breed, has found this first Sunday in May as National Mayday for Mutts. This event is being made possible by various animal shelters, humane organizations, and pet-related businesses. These groups are promoting the adoption of dogs that are of a mixed breed. All of these events will happen during the whole month of May – so, while yesterday was the “official” day – the entire month is focused on bringing awareness to the need to adopt mix-breed dogs (lovingly called Mutts!)
To find out more about National Mayday for Mutts check out this informative article by Porch Potty.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offers & Sharing the Love / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off your favorite items
Sharing The Love: You could offer any mutts adopted this day/wee/month and extra free gift.
Social Media Fun: Share info about the holiday.
Hashtag: #MaydayForMutts
May 3: National Specially-abled Pets Day
Specially-abled Pets Day (formerly Disabled Pets Day) celebrates these amazing and heroic animals, helps to educate the public about caring for disabled pets, and finds homes for orphaned, specially-abled pets. Founded in 2006 and internationally embraced, the decision was made to change the name when founder, Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert, and Animal Rescue Advocate, Colleen Paige felt that it just didn’t fit.
“The name held too negative a connotation, said Colleen, because these pets are very able! Pets that become challenged due to disease, birth flaws, or injuries, tend to develop greater senses than your average pet. Most of the time, it’s as if they never had to readjust to life…and we need to keep up with them!“
Celebrated nationally and internationally on May 3rd annually, National Specially-abled Pets Day encourages adoption always and for people who would like to bring a new furry family member home, to consider a specially-abled pet.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with info / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
May 4: May the 4th Be With You
Here’s a fun holiday that’s just a goof. Use it as an opportunity to share any info you have on training classes. Or information on your boarding services. Or maybe you have a giant display of Star Wars-themed toys! Or you can simply use this holiday to showcase some of your favorite training treats Offers. The outer ring is the limit with this one!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offers / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion: $/% anything that you can relate to Star Wars!
Social Media Fun: Have fun! The outer ring really is the limit!
Hashtag: #MayThe4thBeWithYou
May 5: Cinco de Meow
This is a fun holiday to celebrate on your social media. Ask your customers to post pics of their cats at their cattiest – maybe mid-meow! Use the Astro Holiday Template provided to showcase your cat-themed Offers. You could also insert a cat fun fact or two in there or include info about a new product you are excited about. Cat bow-ties, water fountains, cool cat trees, exciting catnip toys, bunny kick plushies, etc!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Fun / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday / New cat-themed images added to Astro Media > Lifestyle > Buttons & Banners & Astro Media > Social Media
My Promotion Idea: $/% off your favorite cat items – especially if they relate to Cinco de Mayo.
Social Media Fun: Ask your customers to share a pic or story of their cat and tag your social pages. Use the Holiday Template provided or use Astro Social to post one of our many optimized images with a caption.
Hashtag: #CincoDeMeow
May 8: National Dog Mom’s Day
Celebrated on the second Saturday of May, National Dog Mom’s Day celebrates the chillest moms of them all – dog mamas!Fun Fact: National Dog Mom’s Day was founded by DIG – The Dog Person Dating App. And yes, it does exist!
This holiday celebrates Dog Moms and their unwavering bond with their dogs. Our dogs are our family members. We adopt them as puppies, adolescents, or fully mature dogos with a bit of baggage. Despite them being completely different species, we find common ground, a connection, and a bond like families do. They know our moods, and we know theirs. We care for them, protect them, and share endless loyalty with them.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer, Sharing the Love Flyer, Social Media prompt / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off your Dog Mom merch!
Social Media Fun: Invite your customers to share a Mom & Pup pic of them and their dog, or a dog mom in their life and her dog.
Hashtag: #NationalDogMomsDay #DogMom #DogMomsDay
May 10: German Shepherd Day
Some dog breeds have a firm and lasting hold on the public’s heart and consistently place in the top 10 of the ranking of most popular dogs. The strong and noble German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is one of these lasting favorites. In fact, for the past ten years, the German Shepherd has been the number two most popular dog in the United States, and it’s been in the top 10 for decades.
We found some cool fun facts to share. Check out the AKC’s article, Top 10 Facts About German Shepherd Dogs. In addition to fun facts, some fun toys to share with your GSD guardians are hide-and-seek toys and puzzle toys. These types of toys entertain a GSD’s mind and their sniffer. As a herding breed, they would also be fans of Treibball.
German Shepherds and GSD mixes are #7 on the Top 10 Dog Breeds Found in Shelters list, so they make ideal candidates for your Sharing the Love adoption rewards.
These Dog Treat Offers pair perfectly with puzzle toys and can serve as training rewards.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Fun Facts, Offer/Promo Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off German Shepherd merch (magnets and what-not)
Sharing The Love: Give any German Shepherds or Mixes a special treat this month.
Social Media Fun: Share fun facts about German Shepherds. Ask your customers to share pics of their Shepherds and Shepherd Mixes.
Hashtag: #GermanShepherdDay
May 14: International Chihuahua Appreciation Day
Get excited this May to celebrate all of the joy Chihuahuas bring into our lives. The 14th is International Chihuahua Appreciation Day, and there’s no better time to read about this beloved breed’s history and personality traits. Chihuahuas were named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where this short-haired pup was discovered sometime in the mid-1800s. American visitors to Mexico loved these little dogs so much that they decided to bring them back to the states.
Chihuahuas are the smallest breed on Earth, but they are big when it comes to personality. Weighing only three to six pounds and standing about five inches high, the Chihuahua is a lot of dog in a very little package.
Chihuahuas are #8 on the Top 10 Dog Breeds Found in Shelters list, so they make ideal candidates for your Sharing the Love adoption rewards.
Chihuahua owners would appreciate accessories that will help keep their beloved little guys close – such as tote bags and pet slings. They would also love little treats to comfort them on their journies together.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Fun Facts, Offer/Promo Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
My Promotion Idea: $/% off Chihuahua merch (magnets and what-not)
Sharing The Love: Give any Chihuahua or Mixes a special treat this month.
Social Media Fun: Share fun facts about Chihuahuas. Ask your customers to share pics of their Chihuahua and Chihuahua Mixes.
Hashtag: #ChihuahuaAppreciationDay
May 20: National Rescue Dog Day
On May 20, National Rescue Dog Day recognizes all the benefits of allowing a four-legged canine to adopt you into their immeasurably lovable life. According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year. When these abandoned and abused animals find their way to a shelter, each one needs a forever home. They’re Rescue Dogs!
Rescue dogs often overcome extreme obstacles and yet provide comfort, security, and friendship as family pets. As emotional support companions, rescue dogs help to relieve anxiety, depression, and PTSD among the military or those who suffer from mental illness. They make excellent teachers, too. Rescue dogs show children about caring and kindness.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / One Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday / Multiple New Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Adoption
Sharing The Love: This is a great holiday to bring attention to your involvement in Sharing the Love while encouraging those in your community to adopt.
Social Media Fun: Whenever I think of Rescue Dogs I think of the quote, “Who Rescued Who?” This question works really well to prompt rescue dog owners to share their adoption stories. Tug those heartstrings! (I’m itching to adopt another dog now that I’ve sat here for hours going through dog-hug photos and rescue dog poems!)
Hashtag: #NationalRescueDogDay
AstroBlog Article: ‘Sharing The Love’ on National Rescue Dog Day
May 28: Feast Day of St. Bernard of Montjoux
We love a good origin story, and the Saint Bernard has a truly heroic one! Check this out…Long before Beethoven drooled on the big screen, St. Bernard dogs were famous for an entirely different reason: saving lives. Since the early 18th century, monks living in the snowy, dangerous St. Bernard Pass—a route through the Alps between Italy and Switzerland—kept the canines to help them on their rescue missions after bad snowstorms.
Since then, and through much crossbreeding, the canines have become the domestic St. Bernard dogs commonly seen in households today.
Click here for more fun facts about the origin of the St. Bernard…
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, Offer Elements, and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Share some fun facts about Bernards of Montjoux. There are great pics of the monks and the dogs on the links above.
May 30: International Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Day
On May 30th we celebrate our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a beautiful small dog that undoubtedly is a contender for the title of “top tail-wagger.” In fact, among the characteristics that Cavalier breeders strive to attain is a tail in constant motion when this breed is moving.
If the characteristic wagging of the Cavalier’s plumy tail doesn’t melt your heart, surely his large, dark round eyes will. Warm and lustrous, with a sweet expression, they hold the power to extract constant petting and unlimited supplies of food from people under their spell. Click here for more fun-facts about Cavaliers…
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, Social Media Fun, Offer Elements, and Offers Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Sharing The Love: Include a special gift in Adoption Bundles for all CKCS or mixes adopted this month.
Social Media Fun: Puppy Dog Eyes Contest – Prompt your customers with the question, “Do you have a Cavalier King Charles or a dog that has adorable puppy-dog eyes? Capture a picture of their soulful stare and post it to your Facebook or Instagram. Tag us so we can see!” Make sure to include your @tags.
Hashtag: #CavalierKingCharlesDay
May 30: Memorial Day
Your Astro Marketing Team has put together two Holiday Templates for Memorial Day. One focuses on the fun holiday weekend and shares some ideas for having fun whether they stay in or go out. Since our neighborhoods are starting to open up even more this could very well be a Memorial Day Weekend spent outside the house. Feel free to include some of your favorite pet-friendly places in your area and point your customers to your pet travel supplies.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Fun Tips and Offer Elements and Flyer Link, Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Our second Holiday Template was designed to honor our K9 Soldiers. Their stories are like no other. Not only do they repeatedly save the lives of their handlers, but they also provide something only a dog can provide. True love and loyalty.
Until 2000, it was legal and common practice to euthanize military working dogs, known as MWDs, at the end of their useful service. But it was one military war dog in particular – a dog named Robby – whose own fate changed that of other MWDs to come. Robby’s Law (H.R.5314) was signed by President Bill Clinton in November 2000 and required that all MWDs suitable for adoption be available for placement after their service. Unfortunately, it was too late to save Robby, whose former handler fought valiantly to adopt him, to no avail.
There are groups such as Mission K9 Rescue and Save a Vet that has sprouted up to help rehome retired military dogs since the passing of Robby’s Law.
There’s also Soldiers Best Friend that was started to help our human veterans by uniting them with a rescue dog in need.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with awareness and charity links and Sharing the Love Flyer Link, Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
