National Dress Up Your Pet Day is observed by the pet owners and pet community each year on January 14. It was founded in 2009 by the Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Behaviorist, Colleen Paige.

This is what Colleen Paige has to say about the event;

I realize that there are many people who are excited about this day and some others, not so much. The one thing that I feel important to note is that as silly as this day may seem to some, all of my holidays have the underlying goal to help save lives and give homeless animals as much exposure as possible.

You can celebrate this jubilant day by sharing the picture of your pet on social media using the hashtag #DressUpYourPetDay and to raise awareness of the followings;

• To have fun with a pet fashion
• To ensure the comfort & safety of pets
• To celebrate the pet
• To inspire others, both pet and non-pet owners
• To promote Pet Adoption

How can you observe National Dress up your Pet Day

Adopt a Pet

About 6.5 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats), simply because the pet shelters lack enough room for new pets and lesser pets are ever adopted.

• It actually costs lesser to adopt a pet than buying a new one from the pet-farm or Puppy mills. Pet farms are the breeding center of pets that put profit above the welfare of dogs. The pets in farms are generally poorly housed.
• Adopt a pet from your local shelter or rescue. There are more than just dogs and cats that need homes, pets such as bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds and farm animals need forever homes too.

Celebrate the Companionship

This can be the best opportunity to celebrate the companionship with your pet. Dress up your pet in a comfortable and safe costume and consider taking photos to share online. You can bring happiness to your pets and share a special moment with other pet owners.

While posting a photo, don't forget to tag it with the hashtag #dressupyourpetday.

Promote Philanthropy

National Dress up Day is also a special occasion to promote philanthropy. You can donate blankets, food, and toys to animal welfare organizations and animal shelters. You can also choose to volunteer at the local animal shelter. You can play with pets for adoption, clean their cages, litter boxes etc.

If your state allows puppy mills and gas chamber for killing, you should consider writing your Congressman and ask them to support the ban of puppy mills and gas chambers in the state. Consider adopting a pet if you have a home large enough for multiple pets.

You can also take up the responsibility of looking after pets in absence of the pet-owners at your neighborhood.