Month-Long Observances
Week-Long Observances
Single Day Holidays
Month-Long Observances
Adopt-A-Cat Month® & Adopt a Shelter Cat Month®
June is both Adopt-A-Cat Month® and Adopt a Shelter Cat Month®. Adopt-A-Cat Month® was started by American Humane, and Adopt a Shelter Cat Month® originated with the ASPCA. Both organizations offer valuable information for new pet owners welcoming cats or kittens into their homes for the first time. For instance, American Humane has put together a Cat Adoption Checklist that is very shareable.
Bring Awareness by Sharing a Story
Do you have a story to share about a favorite feline in your life? American Humane has put together a fun campaign to highlight the joys of cat companionship. This link is also included in the Adopt-A-Cat Month® Template in your Astro Template Library.
New Adoption Images Optimized for Astro Social Sharing
These images have been added to your Image Library in the Astro Media > Lifestyle > Adoption section. Use them to showcase your participation in Sharing the Love and encourage cat adoption in your neighborhood.
Marketing Materials: Holiday/Featured Template with awareness links, Sharing the Love info, and Flyer Link / New Adoption Images in the Astro Media Library (see above).
National Foster a Pet Month
Where are all my friends in foster at?! Fosters are heroes! They volunteer their time and home to a shelter pet in need and give them a safe place to land before they enter their forever home. The fostering process, while full of commitment, is beneficial for the shelter pet and rewarding for the foster family! Fostering provides the animal more opportunities for socialization, exploration, and expressing a wide range of normal behaviors that are difficult to achieve when the animal remains in a shelter environment.
Do you know pet fosters in your community? Do they know you are Sharing the Love? Fosters want nothing more than to know that their foster babies are living happy and healthy lives in their new homes. As a pet health food retailer, you can help them make that a reality. The foster has set the pet up for success socially and behaviorally, now it’s up to you to help their new owner care for them into the future.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with awareness info and Sharing the Love Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
National Pet Preparedness Month
Whether you live in an area prone to natural disasters or not, it’s still a good idea to be prepared in case of an emergency. Ready.gov has several pages dedicated to Pet Preparedness because they’re part of the family, too!
One really good idea is to keep selfies and identification records for your pet on your phone just in case you need to prove ownership. Microchipping is also a lifesaver if you were to become separated.
We’ve gathered some shareable information for you to share with your customers. Feel free to include some of your own tips. Do you carry any safety items like reflective vests, safety harnesses, GPS tags, ID tags, canned food? – I’m sure you do let your customers know!
National Microchipping Month
It is always a good idea to microchip a pet. The first thing a rescue worker does when picking up a lost pet is wand them to check for a chip.
Are there low-cost clinics in your area that offer chipping services? Do you have a clinic on-site? Home Again is a popular microchipping company whose products are available at vet offices across the country. Their pages are full of tips and FAQs about microchipping.
Marketing Materials: Assorted Ready.gov images added to the Image Library > Astro Media > Astro Social Media
Pride Month
Love is Love! Pride Month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall Riots, and we’re getting ready to dust off our rainbow flags, douse ourselves in glitter, and go join in the fun. With parades, festivals, and concerts going on across the globe, there’s always some way for you to get involved — as well as learn some important social history along the way.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Pet Pride! Encourage your customers to share pics of their pets decked out in their best Pride garb and tag your social pages.
Week-Long Observances
Pet Appreciation Week - 1st Full Week of June
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Prompt your customers with the question – How do you show appreciation for your pets? Invite them to post and share on your socials and tag your page/s.
June 16-22: Animal Rights Awareness Week
Animal Rights Awareness Week each year provides education and tools in the campaign to support animal rights. The campaign focuses on advocating for the humane treatment of animals, including pets, farm animals, and wildlife. It brings awareness regarding animals used for medical research and testing, too.
Marketing Materials:Â Campaign Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Take Your Pet to Work Week
If you’ve spent any time working from home, I imagine your pets, like mine, have blossomed into our assistants. They have mastered the Zoom Meeting tailwhip to the face and the mid-presentation snore or fart. I’m also pretty sure that kitten is still practicing law. Yup. They’re pure Pros.
In all seriousness, we know that inviting pets into the workspace decreases stress and increases productivity and creativity. You guys know this because your whole workday is pets!
For your customers who are bringing their pets into the office this week, let them know your doors are always open for a work-lunch visit. Showcase your best treat and snack, June Astro Offers, to reward them for being good little worker bees.
Single Day Holidays
June 1: International Sheltie Day
There’s just something about a Sheltie’s smile that instantly makes me feel all warm and fuzzy- they smile with their eyes and I am here for it!
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 4: National Hug Your Cat Day
Cats are individuals. And just like people, there are cats that are huggers, and cats that aren’t. Either way, they are deserving of affection befitting their desired love language. Healthy treats, toys, and foods will never disappoint!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday & Astro Media > Astro Social Media
Social Media Fun: Prompt your customers with the question: Hugger or Bugger? Ask for anecdotes about their cat’s preferred hugging style, their tolerated style, or their total disregard for hooman affections.
June 8: National Best Friends Day
Technically, this is a human holiday celebrating human relationships with one another. But! We believe some of the greatest friendships a human will ever have is the one they share with their pets. Especially the bond we shared with our childhood pets – these sweethearts are often our very first best friends.
How did you meet your pet soulmate- or mates? I’m sure those stories are always at the tip of your tongue and live rent-free in your heart.
This is a great holiday to invite your customers to share their Adoption Stories with the world! What are some of their favorite activities to spend time with their pet? Do they go on adventures, or are they fans of snuggling up on the couch with a good movie? Whatever it is that makes their relationship with their best fur, feathered, scaled, or hairless friend special, we all want to know about it! Let’s fill the internet with soul-stirring pics of happy people and their pets.
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Prompt your customers: How did you meet your pet soulmate? What are your favorite activities for spending time together? Share a pic of you and your pet and your favorite story about your friendship.
June 10: World Pet Memorial Day
World Pet Memorial Day is a time for pet owners who have lost a beloved pet to remember, honor, celebrate, and reflect on the life of a departed pet.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Optimized for Social Media Image and Social Media prompt. (Image also exists in your Image Library under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday) This holiday lives mostly online. Social media is one of the most popular places to post an in memoriam for a passed-on pet. Invite your customers to share a Memoriam of one of the special pets who shared a chapter of their life.
June 15: Father's Day
Starter children? Nope. They are my children! LOL
A survey of 2,000 pet owners showed that over 40% of them say their pets fill the role of a child. Caring for another living being is truly a unique experience, regardless of species. Our pets rely on us, and we love one another unconditionally.
Then we have our Dads who have developed adorable and often hilarious relationships with the family pet. I especially love the memes of dads that originally did not want a pet, but then become that pet’s BEST friend after mom or one of the kids brought the pet into the household.
Father’s Day is a great day to celebrate our Dads, and an even better time to give props to the amazing dog-cat-hamster-chicken-etc. Dads out there!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Invite your customers to share a pic of the pet dad in their lives. Or share a pic of their dad with their family pet. Best Buds for Life!
June 16: Take Your Cat to Work Day®
No bobbleheads and stress balls are safe!
Cats across the nation are sitting on their hooman’s desks and slowly pushing pencil jars and succulents to the floor.
What is this? Did you just cast a spell on me!?
We feel the need to preserve our cat’s contributions:Â gyupopapnf””’;””””””’////Â
And we send those emails without alteration.
Wordsmiths and masters of “Fang” Shui – every day should be Take Your Cat to Work Day!
For instance, a cat purrs within a range of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses in humans. A cat’s purr can not only lower stress it can also help labored breathing, lower blood pressure, help heal infections, and even heal bones!
With all these business kitties in the workplace, now is a great time to remind your customers to pack them a nice lunch!
June 19: National Garfield the Cat Day
Ok, personal theories aside. Each year on National Garfield the Cat Day celebrates the fictional cartoon character, Garfield. Jim Davis created the comic strip Garfield and the title’s protagonist, a tabby cat by the same name. The observance celebrates Garfield and the entertainment he brings us.
Garfield launched on June 19, 1978. The strip chronicled the life of the lead character, the cat Garfield (named after Jim Davis’s grandfather). It also introduced Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle, and Jon’s dog, Odie. The publication became syndicated in 2013 in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip.
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 19: Juneteenth
Juneteenth, a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” celebrates the end of enslavement in America. Also known as America’s second Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day, Juneteenth honors enslaved people, African American heritage, and the many contributions that Black people have made to the United States.
Though observed or recognized as a holiday by most states and the majority of U.S. citizens, Juneteenth is not yet a federal holiday.
June 20: Ugliest Dog Day
June 20th is Ugliest Dog Day. Yep. There’s a day for that too. How can someone call a dog ugly? Every single picture tagged #ugliestdog that you see, you will probably say – that dog is adorable! Cause they are. They all are!
What started as a fun contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair has grown into an annual celebration of the “ugly” dogs amongst us. Today we honor all the facially challenged pups with faces only a mother could love. However, when it comes to our fur-buddies, these “ugly” features are nothing short of adorable!
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Grab your favorite pup, give them an extra big snuggle, and go in for the ugly selfie – explore all of your bad angles and face smooshes together. Share your best-ugliest post on our Facebook page #UgliestDogDay. The winner earns our utmost respect!
June 20: Take Your Dog to Work Day®
To our sheer delight, dogs in the workplace are becoming more and more common. Offices are now more dog-friendly than ever, and for good reason!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, and Offer Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday & Astro Media > Lifestyle > My Promotion
My Promotion Idea: Are there any dog-friendly offices near your shop? Have you thought about putting together some bag lunches for pet owners to grab for their dogs during their lunch break? (Or you could deliver – like doggie Postmates lol!) All you would need are some paper bags and something to stuff them with – chews, treats, a toy (something quiet), single-serve cups or pouches, etc. To advertise your cute Doggie Bag Lunches, design your prototype and take some pictures. Then post it to your socials and tag the businesses that you know are dog-friendly near you.
Ok! I love this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been working with my dog at the office and wishing I could get a bully stick delivered!
June 21: National Dog Party Day
National Dog Party Day is celebrated on June 21st, and it’s a fun holiday for dogs to let loose and enjoy the company of other canines.
If you’ve never thrown a dog party before, this is a good day to give it a chance. Dog parties can be as elaborate or as laid-back as you and your pup want them to be. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to throw a party that your dog and their furry friends will enjoy.
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 21: National Dachshund Day
Celebrating the longest dog on the longest day of the year. Gotta love that! National Dachshund Day is always celebrated on the Summer Solstice.
Dachshunds and their mixes also have one of the longest lifespans compared to other dog breeds, and typically live 12-15 years. Of the 23 dogs to hold the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog, two have been Dachshunds and one a Dachshund mix. A Doxie named Chanel, age 21 years, held the record until 2009.
This is also a great holiday to bring awareness to your favorite local or national Dachshund Rescue Group, such as Dachshund Rescue of North America. Since Dachshunds typically live longer than most dogs, many of these rescues appear to be seniors.
Marketing Materials: Campaign Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 24: Cat World Domination Day
Ok. June is officially my favorite month. It’s so cat-centric I can barely contain myself! We got Adopt-a-Cat Month, Hug Your Cat Day, Garfield the Cat Day, Take Your Cat to Work Day, and finally, Cat World Domination Day.
It makes sense, looking at this natural progression. And if you adopted a cat at the start of June, they will surely rule your world by the 24th!
I’m pretty sure this was something started by cats to convince us that they have not, in fact, already taken over the planet.
A recent study on cat DNA has evidence that humans never domesticated cats! It turns out that cats domesticated themselves. Imagine- cats deciding what to do and making us think it was our idea. Sound familiar? It’s all starting to make so much sense!
We found a fun blog article with tips on How to Survive Cat World Domination Day. Our favorite tip:Â
Give Them Daily Offerings: Including chicken, fish or other tasty cat nom noms. Make sure you offer these up in a gold plated bowl, this will please the cat God. They love shiny things.
This is a super fun holiday! A quick Google search will land you dozens of hilarious articles contemplating their domination strategy while peppering in fun facts about cats and their nature. Cats really are the coolest! And if they do take over the world (or admit they’ve already done so centuries ago ) I’d be totally cool for it. Catnip for all!
We need to make sure the cats are appeased for when they do take over the world. Nutritious treats, healthy foods, and high-quality cat litter – all qualify as proper offerings!
Are you an Astro Neighborhood Retailer? All materials mentioned in this piece, and more, are included in our Astro Marketing Suite now with Astro Social! Sign up from your Astro Homescreen today by selecting Marketing from your main header menu.
