12 Ways to Celebrate Love Your Pet Day

National Love Your Pet Day arrives every February 20, serving as the perfect excuse to shower our BFFs with even more affection than usual. Whether your household revolves around one loyal companion or a whole pack, this day is all about honoring that irreplaceable bond. But don’t worry if you don’t have a pet of your own — this is also a great opportunity to show some love to animals in shelters and rescues who are still waiting for their forever homes.

Read on for a dozen sweet ideas to celebrate your pet and support shelter animals this National Love Your Pet Day.

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Celebrating your pet 

No matter the kind of pet you have, there’s a way to celebrate. 

Spend quality time together

What better way to celebrate your pet than by spending quality time with them? Clear your schedule, put down your phone, and lean into their favorite activity — whether that’s a game of fetch, a sun-soaked cuddle, or simply sitting together. And if your pet has more unique tastes (hello, birds, reptiles, and small critters), that might mean supervised free-roam time or hanging out nearby while they do their thing. Sometimes, the best gift is being present.

Share their gotcha story

Everyone loves a good story, and few are as heartwarming, serendipitous, or downright funny as the stories of how people met their pets. This National Love Your Pet Day, take a moment to share your pet’s gotcha story with friends, family, or on social media. Don’t resist the urge to scroll through old photos — they might bring back a moment you’d almost forgotten or make you smile all over again. Who knows? Your story might inspire someone else to adopt a furry, feathered, or scaly friend.

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Make a keepsake 

If you asked me to freehand a portrait of my cat, you’d probably mistake them for a lumpy potato. But give me a custom paint-by-number of my cat, and suddenly I’ve got a masterpiece hanging in my office (true story). That’s the beauty of pet keepsakes: You don’t have to be artistic to make something meaningful. Paw-print art, air-dry clay ornaments, paint-by-number portraits, even the viral walking-over-canvas-projects (but for pets) can be done in an afternoon or less. And years from now, you’ll be really glad you made it.

Commission a portrait

If making art is truly not for you, all hope is not lost. From a photorealist painting to a cheeky cartoony sketch, plenty of talented artists can turn your favorite photos into a framed keepsake you’ll be proud to display.

Bethany Ferr / Pexels/

Celebrating your pup

Want to celebrate a doggo or two (or three — we don’t judge foster fails)? Say no more, and start with these sweet ideas.

Organize a playdate 

At the very top of many dogs’ wish lists is more time sniffing their besties. What better way to make that happen than with a playdate? If your pup has a neighborhood friend they’re obsessed with, National Love Your Pet Day is the perfect excuse to text that neighbor and actually make the playdate happen. 

If you don’t have a regular crew yet, scout out the indoor or outdoor dog park you’ve had bookmarked for months. Or you can turn to technology for a little help. Social apps for pet parents, such as Pawmates, DogHood, and Dogorama, are essentially Tinder for dog meetups. They help you find like-minded playmates by filtering by breed, energy level, and even play style. 

Go on a sniff walk

This National Love Your Pet Day, show your pup some extra love with a long, leisurely walk — one where they get to call (most of) the shots. Rather than directing every step or hurrying them along, let your dog lead with their nose. It might feel like you’re moving at a glacial pace, but letting them lead with their nose is actually a fantastic mental exercise that can leave your pup happily tuckered out. 

Play a game 

Because Love Your Pet Day falls in late February, the weather might not always cooperate for a long, outdoor “sniffari.” If it’s too cold for a walk, don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to keep the celebration going indoors.

If you have a dog who’s more of a homebody, an older pup, or a young puppy, replace walks on very cold, wet, or windy days with indoor games, training, enrichment, and problem-solving tasks. From feeder puzzles to hide-and-seek, tug-of-war, and DIY obstacle courses, there’s sure to be an activity that will perk up your pup’s ears. 

Let them shop for their own toy

Sure, you spoil your good boy or girl with toys and treats, but how often do you let them pick one out? This National Love Your Pet Day, flip the script, and let them lead the way down the toy aisle. If you need convincing on how pure this is, just look at this rescue pup who picked out his own plush bunny from the pet store shelf. He was so proud that he carried it to the car, into the house, and into his crate at bedtime. 

Learn about their breed

Do you ever look at your dog and wonder where those insanely cute, but oversized ears came from — or why they are so weirdly obsessed with herding the vacuum? Investing some time digging into your pup’s breed or mix can reveal a lot about their personality, their appearance, and those quirks you love so much. 

Spend an afternoon reading breed descriptions and guessing what makes up your dog’s DNA, or go the official route with a DNA test for more accurate results. Either way, understanding why your dog looks and acts the way they do can help you better care for them — and you might even discover a new favorite activity to enjoy together.

Shutterstock / Kirsty Hulme/

Celebrating pets at shelters and rescues

What better way to celebrate Love Your Pet Day than by giving back, whether that involves supporting the shelter you adopted your pet from, a neighborhood rescue, or a national organization working to improve the lives of animals?  

Donate 

Money is great, but it’s definitely not the only way to give. That bed your pet decided they suddenly didn’t like, or the harness that didn’t fit quite right and was past the return date? Shelters and rescues can often put those items to really good use.

Many organizations are happy to accept things like food, gently used toys and beds, leashes, and harnesses. Check your local shelter or rescue’s website (or social media account) for a list of what they need, or give them a quick call before dropping anything off.

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Volunteer

If you’ve got the time, there’s no better way to spend Love Your Pet Day — or any day, for that matter — than by volunteering at your local shelter. Volunteer roles vary widely, from walking dogs and hanging out with cats to helping with cleaning or admin. All these tasks matter. Just be sure to sign up and complete any onboarding or training ahead of time, so you’re good to go.

Foster 

Why limit the celebration to just one day? By becoming a foster parent, you can give a pet in need a temporary home, providing them a break from the shelter, where life can be stressful, and space is limited. Whether they stay for a few days, several weeks, or even months, pets in foster care receive love, attention, and basic training and socialization — giving them a better chance to thrive and find their forever family. 

Find a shelter or rescue near you

You can locate reputable shelters and rescues by searching Adopt a Pet. Search by location, radius, or type of animal, and you’ll find contact information for shelter representatives to reach out about fostering, volunteering, or even a pet who caught your eye.