Today is National Pet Day! It’s a day to celebrate our pets, encourage our friends without pets to Be Kind to Animals, and maybe even donate to an animal charity to help celebrate our love for pets! Here are a few ideas for kids and their pets:

Donating doesn’t always take money, sometimes it just takes time and energy. Kids can collect blankets, towels and pet food from friends and neighbors to give them to your local pet shelter or dog rescue.

Give your dog a bath and take her/him for a “strut.” You know how dogs love to show off when they’re nice and clean! (I mean try that with your horse and what’s the first thing that happens? S/he rolls in the dirt!) So if you have a dog, it’s worth giving him/her a bath to see how proud they are of their clean bods! Then take them for a walk and let them show off!

Play with your cat! Cats are so easily entertained. Get out a string, and find a feather or jingle bell and tie it at the end of a string. It won’t be long before your cat is exhausted from chasing you (while you pull the string behind as you run around the house). Beware: Just when you think your cat has lost interest and quit, s/he’s probably waiting right around the corner to attack you when you come by!

Sing with your bird! Birds like toys too but if they like to sing, put on your favorite music and sing with your bird – or entertain it with your dancing!

Instead of a Lemonade Stand on this bright, sunny day, have a dog treat stand!  See our cookbook for recipes to make ahead, or ASK for people to donate pet treats you can take to your shelter or rescue. Or, if you have a local business that makes dog treats, ask for free samples you can give out to promote their business – but have a collection jar for the rescues.

Let us know what you do to celebrate National Pet Day!