AUGUST

1 BACK TO SCHOOL season begins this month, providing a multitude of marketing opportunities. “Back to Boredom” sales of lick mats, chews and toys. “First Day Fresh Coat” promotions of your self-wash stations. You can even go all out and throw a “Bark to School Pawty” like Wagging Tails Pet Resort & Spaw in West Hartford, CT. The annual day-care package includes adorable class photos (above), educational activities, and awards for Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed and Teacher’s Pet among others.

1 & 10 Not only does this month serve as RAWGUST, it also includes DURAN DURAN APPRECIATION DAY. In addition to your regularly scheduled raw promotions, hold a “Hungry Like the Wolf (& the Wildcat)” sale on Aug. 10. Your Gen-X customers won’t be able to resist their beloved ‘80s music getting a nod, and with all the intergenerational bickering on TikTok these days, even younger customers will get the reference and chuckle at their elders while they also save.

5 On WORK LIKE A DOG DAY, give your store pup some time in the social media spotlight. Share their backstory, as many of your customers may not know how this greeter, treat and toy tester, and employee of the month (every month) came to be a part of your life and business. If you adopted locally, it’s also an opportunity to promote the rescue or shelter.

6 Because no one wants kisses from their pet to be stinky, use NATIONAL FRESH BREATH DAY to tout the many dental products and services you sell, from toothpaste and additives to teeth brushing during grooming. And don’t forget to tie into RAWGUST again by including raw bones in your promotions!

28 On RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY, follow the lead of Dogs by Design in Irwin, PA, and create space on your socials for customers to share a photo and the story of their passed pets. Respectfully pair it with information about any products and services you offer in this area, such as bereavement gifts and/or pet grief support. Don’t have time for this promotion in August? Aim for National Pet Memorial Day on Sept. 8 instead.

SEPTEMBER

1 It’s HAPPY HEALTHY CAT MONTH! Use this “holiday” to show customers and potential customers how cat savvy you are. Healthy Pets Mountain West in Salt Lake City, UT, posts social media tips each September, among them advice on how to best serve up a cat’s meals to avoid whisker stress. Offer Caturday sales or other specials to grow this customer base.

1-7 NATIONAL WAFFLE WEEK has a Saturday and a Sunday on which to hold an event. Break out your waffle maker and serve up store-made pet-friendly versions and/or promote your waffle-themed treats for dogs. Offer coffee for the humans in tow so they can sip a breakfast beverage while they watch their pup enjoy the treat.

8 With many young people putting off or even deciding not to have kids, their parents find themselves petsitting instead of babysitting. Put a spin on GRANDPARENTS’ DAY with a GrandPAWrents event. Add GrandPAWrents Day signage to your selfie station and share the many ways they can spoil their grandpets.

17 Looking for NATIONAL PET BIRD DAY ideas? Go to myrightbird.com and download the National Pet Bird Day toolkit, which includes free graphics and social media posts to help with promotions. Pair with flash sales in store and online to reward your avian customers.

28 IndiePet’s inaugural NEIGHBORHOOD PET STORE DAY was a huge success in 2023! More than 650 independent pet retailers took part, with Astro Loyalty noting a 350% increase in Astro Offer sales on that day versus an average Saturday. Go to neighborhood petstoreday.com to download free marketing materials available to all, with IndiePet members getting access to bonus materials in the Neighborhood Pet Store Day Promotional Package.