July

15 Could your pet cause a fire in your home? (Think fireplaces, candles, stove knobs, etc.) Plus, in the event of a fire, have you taken precautions to ensure that your pet can escape? Those are the ideas behind PET FIRE SAFETY DAY. The first step to avoiding or surviving such a disaster? Read these useful tips from the American Kennel Club at ppmag.us/fireday and share with your email and social media audience.

17 While GET OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE DAY is traditionally reserved for guilty-minded husbands, and has been used for marketing purposes by jewelers and florists, we think pet store owners should get in on the action. Offer a special on luxury doghouse installation. Your pitch? A doghouse so comfortable you’ll never want to leave.

24 Conferences start today at SUPERZOO. Our advice: Walk the show first, see everything before you buy anything. Take notes on standout stuff you see and then go back for a second round to see if you still feel the same way about it.

29 Today is LASAGNA DAY. While we don’t know any actual cats who favor this classic Italian dish, it’s still not a bad day to reference Garfield for your customers. Invite local felines to visit your pet bakery to taste-test and discover their own new favorite treat — freeze-dried lamb or catnip-based wine, perhaps?

August

4 ASSISTANCE DOG DAY is an opportunity to celebrate some amazing animals in your community. Hold a parade of assistance dogs or a skills competition. Or hold a seminar that offers instructions on how to get an assistance animal for those who might need one. (Be clear, too, about cases where getting an assistance animal is not appropriate.)

6 If you have a staff member whose breath smells, in the words of Martin Amis, like a small furry animal had crawled inside his mouth and died overnight, take note of NATIONAL FRESH BREATH DAY. Run through the safe-breath drill every morning: Drink lots of water, brush and floss regularly, scrape those tongues, and see the dentist regularly. Finally, insist they chant this 10 times: Bad breath equals sales death. Bad breath equals …

8 INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY — think of it as Christmas for cats! Promote heavily. Get those gift options up on your website by the first day of the month. Similarly, mark DOG DAY on Aug. 26.

15 On CHECK THE CHIP DAY, promote appointments for your customers to get their pets chipped. And, for those who have already chipped their animals, offer free chip checking and verification.

MORE JULY-AUGUST EVENTS

July 12 is Different Colored Eyes Day. Invite customers to post images of their heterochromia-afflicted cuties on your social media.

July 16 is World Snake Day. S-s-sounds like a s-s-sweet s-s-sales opportunity.

July 19 is Hot Dog Day. A perfect day for a barbecue and pet meetup event.

Aug. 8 is Odie DaY. Because not everybody’s favorite Garfield character is Garfield.

Aug. 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day. Because these guys get such a bad rap.

Aug. 19 is International Homeless Animals Day. Promote local shelters, spaying, and share strategies for dealing with feral animals.

Aug. 30 is Holistic Pet Day. Celebrate … holistically.

This article originally appeared in the July-August 2017 edition of PETS+.