August 2026 Pet Holidays

The dog days of summer are celebrated with one of the year’s biggest dog holidays: National Dog Day. The annual Clear the Shelters event also draws national attention this month.

August pet holidays for dogs

Month-Long Observances

  • Clear the Shelters. This annual event, held in partnership with NBC-owned TV stations and the Telemundo Station Group, features low-cost and fee-waived adoptions at shelters across the US.
  • Itchy Pet Awareness Month. Founded by Zoetis, this awareness month brings awareness to allergic skin disease.
  • National Dog Month. Launched in 2020, this observation held during the dog days of summer celebrates all the special joy of dogs.
  • Rawgust. Celebration of raw feeding for pets for the month of August.
  • World Mutt-i-grees Rescue Month. Created by North Shore Animal League America, this awareness month focuses on the importance of adopting shelter pets.

Week-Long Observances

  • Aug. 2-8: International Assistance Dog Week. This annual event honors the many specially-trained service dogs who perform a wide variety of tasks.
  • Aug. 2-8: Give a Dog a Bone Week. Hosted by Pets of the Homeless, the event features more than 400 Pets of the Homeless donation sites nationwide asking their community to bring donations of pet food and supplies to assist the pets of the homeless.

One-Day Holidays

  • Aug. 1: DOGust Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs. The North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, declared August 1 as a birthday for all the shelter animals whose birthdays are unknown. Happy DOGust!!
  • Aug. 1: National Yorkie Day. Coinciding with Yorkshire Day which recognizes the English county of Yorkshire, Yorkie Day celebrates the Yorkshire Terrier. (Also see January’s National Yorkshire Terrier Day!)
  • Aug. 4: Assistance Dog Day. Part of International Assistance Dog Week, this observation, always on August 4, honors the many types of assistance dogs.
  • Aug. 5: Work Like a Dog Day.
  • Aug. 8: International Cat Day.
  • Aug. 8: National Cat Day in Canada.
  • Aug. 8: National Odie Day. Celebrating Garfield’s cheerful sidekick.
  • Aug. 10: Snoopy’s Birthday. Peanuts Worldwide celebrates the birthday of the world’s favorite beagle on this day.
  • Aug. 10: National Spoil Your Dog Day. We’ve got dozens of ways to spoil your dog–even more than you do the rest of the year!
  • Aug. 15: National Check the Chip Day. AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) joined together to create “Check the Chip Day.”
  • Aug. 15: International Homeless Animals’ Day. Third Saturday in August.
  • Aug. 16: Saint Roch’s Day. Patron saint of dogs.
  • Aug. 17: National Black Cat Appreciation Day.
  • Aug. 17: National Nonprofit Day.
  • Aug. 22: National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day.
  • Aug. 23: International Blind Dog Day.
  • Aug. 26: National Dog Day. One of the most popular pet holidays of the year, we’ve got an entire page devoted to National Dog Day with ideas on how you and your dog can celebrate together.
  • Aug. 28: Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.
  • Aug. 30: National Holistic Pet Day.

More Pet Holidays

We’ve got an entire calendar of pet holidays throughout the year!