Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just For Humans!

We’ve known for years and years that Valentine’s Day is all about L-O-V-E and I had never heard of it being celebrated by pets! But in PETCO stores across the country, that’s exactly what they are doing. Today I am going to discuss the various events held at different locations and give you some ideas on what you can do for your pet this Valentine’s Day!

The parties were held February 9 at 2 pm and included a Best Pet Kiss contest! Participants also got to decorate their own Valentine’s cookie and they got a free Valentine’s Pet Part photo and frame. The event also encouraged owners to dress their pets up for a costume party. Some dogs were seen dressed in their absolute finest!

If you attended the party, entered the Best Pet Kiss contest with your pooch, and you have pictures, I would love to see them. Send pictures to: dsheffler@petstrong.com

Pictures will be added to this post in the order they are received.

What are some other things you can do for your pet on Valentine’s Day? For some owners extra special treats just aren’t enough. Some owners are shelling out big buck to pamper their pets on the day of love! But the most important thing you can give your pet is completely free! I am talking about your attention.

Think about the last time you spent with your pet. Most of the time we are too busy in our lives working, running errands, etc. to take any time at all to play with our pets and give them the attention they deserve. If you think your schedule is too packed to allow you any extra time to spend with them, why not cut back on the amount of TV you are watching? How about cutting back on your time on the computer? How about making a walk with your pet a family event? There are many options available to you to give your pet the things he needs!

In a recent poll conducted by TRIPSwithPETS.com, 86% of people said they planned on including their pet in their Valentine’s Day celebration! According to their poll, these are the top 5 ways to show your pet how much they are loved:

#5 – Extra love! Some owners will simply treat their pets with body massages, or just an abundance of petting! This (as I mentioned above) is a free way to show your pet how much you care!

#4 – Dress Your Pet Up! I wonder how many dogs and cats I will see dressed as cupid on Valentine’s Day? (I’ll have to let you know the answer to this on Friday!!) I almost think this little show of affection may be more for the owners than the pets themselves…..but I have seen dogs and cats that really do enjoy getting all dressed up!

#3 – An Extra Special Meal! – Some owners give their pets an extra tasty dinner such as a can of wet dog food mixed with hard kibble. Are there some dishes your pet just can’t resist?

#2 – It’s Cuddle Time! – Pet owners around the world will be snuggling up with their pets and putting in a good movie. This is a great way to bond with your animal, let them know they are safe and loved!

#1 – A Special Gift! – Yeah, I know, you probably could have guessed this one right? It seems most of us will be headed to PETCO, PetSmart, or some other store to pick up another squeaky toy for Fido, or some catnip for Boots. Be careful when picking out toys for your pets. Make sure they are the appropriate size and you should always supervise your pet when they’re chewing!

Deciding what you want your plans to be this Valentine’s Day with your pet is a hard decision, and you don’t have to do it all by yourself! Leave your ideas and thoughts here for other pet owners to read! Please don’t forget to visit my Donate page! There are some pets throughout this country who are unlucky enough to be living in shelters. They don’t have owners that love them, and some shelters barely have enough food to go around. A small donation from you will help pets all over to enjoy a better life until they are adopted!!

Thanks for reading! As always your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!

This entry was posted on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 02:45 pm and is filed under PetStrong. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.