OCTOBER

1 Ladies, during NATIONAL WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS MONTH, tout your status and shout out other local women-owned businesses on your socials with #NWSBM, plus round up products from women-owned brands in a display. It’s also NATIONAL PITBULL AWARENESS MONTH. Choose team and/or customer pitties to promote as breed ambassadors. We can’t wait to see all of the velvety house hippos!

6 Fun question for your socials on NATIONAL MAD HATTER DAY: Which Alice in Wonderland character is your pet most like? We bet there will be a few Cheshire Cats!

14 For PET OBESITY AWARENESS DAY, follow the lead of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, WA, which builds on the success of its free-to-use pet scale by adding weight-tracking cards and rewards for pets meeting their goals. Daycares, consider creating a structured exercise add-on that helps pups get to their healthy weight.

15 On NATIONAL MUSHROOM DAY, serve pet-friendly mushroom and goat milk lattes like Barkley’s Marketplace in Flemington, NJ. Serve in your supplements section to show off your mushroom-based products.

21 Stores that serve reptile enthusiasts, invite a local elementary school class to visit on REPTILE AWARENESS DAY. Inspire the next generation of customers!

22 On NATIONAL NUT DAY, remind customers of the dangers of xylitol for pets while promoting the safe nut butters you carry alongside enrichment mats and toys that they spread into perfectly.

31 Need ideas for HALLOWEEN displays and events? Visit petsplusmag.com/halloween to see a photo gallery filled with examples from your fellow indies, including this spooky photo op from Jackson’s Place in Houston, TX. Bonus: Halloween fun + Fifth Saturday Sale!

NOVEMBER

1 It’s NATIONAL SENIOR PET MONTH and ADOPT A SENIOR PET MONTH. Create a display of senior-support products (orthopedic beds, joint supplements, etc.), a senior grooming special (warm microbubble bath, gentle towel dry) and/or a seniors-only gift for your adoption rewards bundle (like an “Oldie But Goodie” bandana).

4 On NATIONAL ADVENT CALENDAR DAY, introduce 2026 editions with a value-based twist like A Barkery Unleashed in Marysville, WA: Bundle with bags of your broken bulk treats for multi-pet customers who don’t want to buy more than one calendar.

11 Introduce the former military behind your favorite veteran-owned brands on VETERANS DAY.

12 Do you offer small animal boarding or grooming? If not, launch and promote on FANCY RAT AND MOUSE DAY.

17 On TAKE A HIKE DAY, look into sponsoring a dog waste station on a popular hiking trail in your area.

26 Pet indies excel at celebrating THANKSGIVING! We love the breed-centric Aussie Friendsgiving (above) that Two Bostons in Chicago, IL, hosted in 2025, complete with a long table set with pre-made plates and name cards. For best results, co-owner AdreAnne Tesene recommends having a host dog, requiring RSVPs for name cards, and running no more than two hours to encourage prompt arrival for fun and games.