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Adopt-A-Cat Month® (American Humane Association) & Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month® (ASPCA).
June 6-12: Pet Appreciation Week
June 20-26: Animal Rights Awareness Week
June 21-25: Take Your Pet to Work Week
June 1: International Sheltie Day
June 4: Hug Your Cat Day
June 6: National Animal Rights Day
June 8: Best Friends Day
June 9: World Pet Memorial Day
June 10: Jerky Day
June 19: National Garfield the Cat Day
June 19: Juneteenth
June 20: Father's Day
June 20: Ugliest Dog Day
June 21: National Dog Party Day
June 21: National Dachshund Day
June 22: Take Your Cat to Work Day®
June 24: Cat World Domination Day
June 25: Take Your Dog to Work Day®
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 who are 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 sharable.
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.
The ASPCA also wants to know about how you have helped an animal in need. Did you adopt an amazing animal? Did you run a marathon on behalf of the ASPCA? Do you have an inspiring story you’d like to share? Use this form to tell the ASPCA how you’re getting involved and joining the ASPCA in our fight against animal cruelty.
If this is the first you have heard of Sharing the Love, June is the perfect (ahem, purrfect... lol, had to) time to join the movement!
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 Pet Foster 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.
Fostering also opens space for animal shelters to take in more pets, saving more lives in the process!
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!
Astro Social Images sourced from Ready.gov
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info and Offer Flyer Link / Astro Social Media Images for Instagram and Facebook sourced from Ready.gov (see above).
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.
Does your community host any events for Pride? Do you carry Pet Pride accessories? (I'm on the hunt for a rainbow bowtie myself 😻)
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
June 6-12: Pet Appreciation Week
Pet Appreciation Week is celebrated on the second Sunday of June as a way of showing gratitude to our pets for how they make our lives fuller and happier.
We believe the best way to show appreciation for our pets is by offering them good food, healthy treats, whole supplements, and enriching toys. You got those covered!
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 - In what ways do you show your appreciation for your pets? Invite them to Post and share on your socials and tag your page/s.
June 20-26: 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.
In Defense of Animals founded Animal Rights Awareness Week in 1991 to promote education about animal welfare and bring further protection to animals and their habitats. This organization participates in dozens of campaigns to help bring awareness and change to the lives of animals in need. For instance, they started Break the Chains to help dogs who are inhumanely chained, and Community Cats to encourage communities away from the trap-and-kill practice to Trap-Neuter-Return.
This is a great time to help bring awareness to causes that you care about. Let your customers know about the brands you carry that have adopted humane practices.
Open Farm springs to my mind! They are a partner of Certified Humane® and Global Animal Partnership.
We partner with independant, industry leading, farm animal welfare organizations whose sole focus to ensure the humane treatment of animals raised for food production. ~ Open Farm
Open Farm regularly participates in Astro Offers, and they have one for June! It's cat-themed, so it works purr-fectly 😸 with all the cat holidays going on this month!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, Offer Elements, and Offer Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 21-25: Take Your Pet to Work Week
Our pets could practically run our businesses after covid. 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 that are bringing their pets into the office this week, let them know your doors are always open for a work-lunch visit. Be sure to showcase your best treat and snack Offers so they can be rewarded for being good little worker bees.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Info, 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 to share a pic of their pet joining them at work.
One-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!
Canines of the Shetland Sheepdog dog breed stood guard for farmers in the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland, keeping hungry birds and sheep out of the farmer's garden, and they served as herding dogs as well. Today they're excellent family companions and superstars in dog sports.
Ask any Sheltie owner, and they'll probably tell you how smart their dog is. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an animal intelligence expert, that's more than their pride of ownership talking. In his studies of the intelligence of 132 different dog breeds, Shelties ranked sixth in intelligence by being able to understand a new command after being told it fewer than five times on average, and obeying commands the first time they were given at least 95 percent of the time.
This is a great holiday to spread awareness of your favorite local, or national, Sheltie Rescues. dogtime.com and Sheltie Nation each provide ways to locate either an adoptable Sheltie or a Sheltie Rescue near you.
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, & Sharing the Love / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 4: 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 6: National Animal Rights Day
June 8: 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 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: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, & Sharing the Love / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
Social Media Fun: Prompt your customers with the questions - How did you meet your pet soulmate? What are your favorite activities to spend together? Share a pic of you and your pet and your favorite story about your friendship.
June 9: World Pet Memorial Day
World Pet Memorial Day is on June 9 and 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.
Our friends at Wellness Pet Food put together a lovely article named How to Honor Your Pet on World Pet Memorial Day. They include a section on how to great crafty in your memorial. A beautiful and personal memorial has become growingly popular with pet parents who have lost a beloved pet.
I have a friend who had her sweet baby angel's ashes infused into a blown glass orb. It's so gorgeous. I've also seen ashes added to necklaces so they can be worn close to your heart. Recently, I've seen where pet owners commission resin artists to suspend their pet's color or a favorite toy in a resin sculpture. While others have resin jewelry or beads made containing hair clippings and ash. Memorial paw prints and nose prints are also very popular. A memorial can also be as simple as mounting their favorite stick to your wall and hanging dried flowers from it. When my childhood dog passed I made her an artbook with her picture painted on the cover and then filled its contents with stories of our adventures. It's still sitting on my bookshelf today.
Whew, ok. Getting the feels big time. Just had to hug all my animals and sit back down.
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 of 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 10: Jerky Day
Although created to highlight a favorite human snack, this date is also the perfect time to use Astro Social to share your Nulo Jerky Offer on your Facebook or Instagram page!
Or you could share a homemade chicken jerky recipe for dogs, too!
Marketing Materials: Brand Media > Astro Offers
June 19: National Garfield the Cat Day
Where all my orange kitties at?!
I've had the pleasure of living with two orange cats. Both expected to be fed precisely at specific times of the day and me-yowl and throw things if I am even a minute late preparing their meal. My other cats were never this demanding when it comes to food. I'm wondering if it is just me? Or are orange cats food-zillas?
Ok, personal theories aside. Each year on June 19th, 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.
Garfield is a food-zilla, I think it's time we convert him into a health foodie with some healthy food Offers!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements & Offer Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 19: Juneteenth
Image credit: ThoughtCo / Joshua Seong
We felt it was important to include Juneteenth in our guide, and we are thrilled to see more and more businesses recognizing Juneteenth as a company holiday.
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.
If you want to help to make Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday, sign the Black Lives Matter and National Juneteenth Observance Foundation petitions.
June 20: 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 as filling the role of a child. It is truly a unique experience to care for another living being, 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 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: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social 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 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.
The last dog party I went to had Puptinis made from raw goat milk blended with fresh strawberries, and Pumpkin Spiced Lattes also made with raw goat milk and organic canned pumpkin. For arts and crafts time we each made a pawprint collage of our dog's paws using washable ink. Then the birthday girl sat in the center of everyone while we sang her happy birthday. It was ridiculous! And I frickin loved it. It took place like 6 years ago and I still remember every moment. Best party ever!
I've found some more complex Puptini recipes for ya, a couple from the Pets Best Blog. and one by Bella Good Life (The only modification that would make would be to avoid any added sugar.) You could also go more umami with a bone broth-based martini topped with some freeze-dried dust.
OK. Can someone please invite me to their dog party!
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: Throw a Dog Party and share your pics!
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.
In honor of this holiday, we went hunting for some Dachshund fun facts and the interwebs did not disappoint!
The Dog, Not the Hotdog Came First - Dachshunds are sometimes called wiener dogs because their long bodies resemble hotdogs. But would you believe that the original name for the hotdog was the Dachshund sausage? The deli product was so-named because it resembled the dog breed. The name was later shortened to hotdog.
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 it appears that many of these rescues are seniors, for instance, there's a sweetheart named Gabby in Baltimore, MD who is 14 and looking for her forever home. So cute!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, Offer Flyer Link, & Sharing the Love / Optimized Astro Social Image under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday
June 22: Take Your Cat to Work Day®
My cats are always very helpful while I am working. Their presence is either very soothing, or entertaining. I do love picturing an office full of cat associates. I think it would look something like this...
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.
Kitties strolling casually across keyboards while flicking their tails in their hooman's faces.
With great skill, they select random keys creating gibberish in a way only a cat can.
What is this? Did you just cast a spell on me!?
We feel the need to preserve our cat's contributions: gyupopapnf''''';'''''''''''''////
And we send those emails without alteration.
Wordsmiths and masters of Fengshui - every day should be Take Your Cat to Work Day!
In all seriousness, cats have been proven time and again to be natural stress relievers and therefore make fantastic work buddies.
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! 😺
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer Elements, and Offer Flyer Link / Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday & Astro Media > Astro Social Media > Instagram
Social Media Fun: Any excuse to collect cat pics and memes I will gladly take. Prompt your customers with the questions: Is your cat the boss of you? What kind of boss are they? Do they stare at you until you do what they need of you? Or do they make vocal demands? Is your cat more like Michael from The Office, or Lumbergh from Office Space? We want to know all about it!
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!
June 24th is Cat World Domination Day. 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 cats were never domesticated by humans! It turns out that cats domesticated themselves. Imagine that- cats deciding what they will do and making us think it was our idea. Sound familiar? It's all starting to make so much sense!
Baxter's Blog has a list of 10 Signs Your Cat is Plotting to Take Over the World. My favorite:
They sit near your computer or in your chair by a computer. DON’T be fooled! They aren’t just sitting there to sit there, they are waiting for you to leave the room or turn away so they can look up important information and contact fellow cat dominators!
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!
Marketing Materials: Holiday Template with Offer/My Promotion Elements, Offer Flyer Link, Fun Facts, and Social Media Fun / Optimized Astro Social Images under Astro Media > Lifestyle > Holiday & Astro Media > Astro Social Media > Instagram
Social Media Fun: Prompt your customers with some questions - Is your cat plotting world domination? Do you think they could be a leader? What do you suspect they are doing while you are sleeping or out of the house? We want to hear your theories and see any evidence you have collected while investigating their behavior!
June 25: 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!
Research has shown that dogs promote interactions between staff resulting in an improved social atmosphere. Other research finds that dogs reduce the stress of owners and of others in the same office. Dogs can even improve customer perceptions (for example, students think professors with dogs are more friendly).
Dogs make amazing co-workers. I could see them in HR for sure! And just like any good worker, they expect lunch breaks - maybe a nice walk to grab a snack.
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!
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.
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