240+ Calendar Events to Add to Your Animal Agenda

Dear Fellow Americans,

We’ve noticed that only a handful of holidays make it onto typical calendars, so we would like to introduce you to our 2026-2027 Animal Agenda. Whether you’re an animal lover, animal activist, or both, this supplemental list of celebrations and observances will give you hundreds of opportunities to include wild and domesticated creatures in your thoughts, activities, and lessons throughout the year.

Did we include ALL of the animal-related days that exist? Absolutely not! The list was getting too crazy, so here’s the strategy we used to keep it a reasonable length: 1) pick just one event for each kind of animal, 2) choose the special day instead of the whole month celebration where available, 3) opt for international/world days over national holidays so that ideally all humans are participating together, 4) exclude celebrations for individual breeds of companion animals, and 5) shift the holidays about particular habitats (like rainforest, ocean, etc.) to our Planet Planner. If it actually would be helpful to know every opportunity that you have to talk about a certain species, comment below that you’d rather sift through a v..e..r..y…l..o..n..g list and we’ll consider revising in the future.

Check this post at the end of each summer to find an updated calendar just in time for the new school semester, and please do share when you come up with a creative way to incorporate them into your space!

Here’s to new traditions,

Amy and Tony

P.S. If you’re interested, every year we also make a list of environmental awareness days and a general calendar that empowers people to better care for themselves, the planet, and all of its inhabitants.

**Looking for a printable list?**
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August

1 – Respect for Fish Day
2 – International Golden Lion Tamarin Day
2 – National Goldfish Day
4 – International Clouded Leopard Day
5 – National Oyster Day
8 – International Cat Day
8 – National Tarantula Appreciation Day
8 – International Moon Bear Day
10 – World Lion Day
12 – World Elephant Day
12 – World Hirola Day
13 – International Wolf Day
14 – World Lizard Day
15 – International Homeless Animals Day
15 – World Honey Bee Day
19 – International Orangutan Day
20 – World Mosquito Day
22 – World Plant Milk Day
26 – National Dog Day
26 – World Painted Dog Day
29 – World Day for the End of Speciesism
30 – International Whale Shark Day

September

1 – International Primate Day
4 – National Wildlife Day
5 – National Hummingbird Day
5 – International Vulture Awareness Day
6 – World Shorebirds Day
8 – National Dog Walker Appreciation Day
8 – National Iguana Awareness Day
12 – World Dolphin Day
17 – World Manta Day
19 – Puppy Mill Awareness Day
19 – International Red Panda Day
22 – World Rhino Day
24 – World Gorilla Day
25 – National Lobster Day
26 – National Alpaca Day
26 – World Cassowary Day
26 – Shamu the Whale Day
26 – International Rabbit Day
29 – National Goose Day

Sea Otter Awareness Week (20th-26th)

Animal Pain Awareness Month

October

1 – National Raccoon Day
2 – World Day for Farmed Animals
4 – World Animal Day
6 – National Badger Day
8 – World Octopus Day
9 – World Egg Day
10 – World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day
10 – International Jumping Spider Day
10 – International African Penguin Awareness Day
10 – Urban Wildlife Conservation Day
16 – National Feral Cat Day (Global Cat Day)
17 – International Sawfish Day
18 – World Okapi Day
20 – International Sloth Day
21 – National Reptile Awareness Day
21 – Hagfish Day
22 – National Make a Dog’s Day
22 – Wombat Day
23 – International Snow Leopard Day
24 – National Kangaroo Awareness Day
24 – Freshwater Dolphin Day
24 – International Gibbon Day
26 – National Mule Day
29 – National Hermit Crab Day
31 – World Lemur Day

National Animal Safety and Protection Month

Raptor Month

November

1 – World Vegan Day
3 – World Jellyfish Day
3 – World Basking Shark Day
7 – National Bison Day
7 – World Numbat Day
27 – Fur-Free Friday
29 – International Jaguar Day

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week (1st-7th)

National Pet Suffocation Awareness Week (29th-5th)

Adopt a Turkey Month

December

2 – National Mutt Day
2 – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
4 – International Cheetah Day
4 – World Wildlife Conservation Day
9 – National Llama Day
10 – International Animal Rights Day
11 – Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals Day
14 – Monkey Day

Christmas Bird Count (14th-5th)

January

2 – National Pet Travel Safety Day
5 – National Bird Day
17 – World Waterfowl Day
19 – Tenderness Toward Existence Day
21 – Squirrel Appreciation Day
31 – International Zebra Day

Veganuary

National Unchain a Dog Month

February

1 – National Serpent Day
2 – National Groundhog Day
2 – Marmot Day (Alaska)
2 – World Ostrich Day
2 – National Hedgehog Day
14 – World Bonobo Day
15 – World Hippo Day
20 – World Pangolin Day
21 – World Whale Day
23 – World Spay Day
27 – International Polar Bear Day

Great Backyard Bird Count (12th-15th)

Homes for Birds Week (14th-20th)

National Justice for Animals Week (21st-27th)

Humpback Whale Awareness Month

International Hoof Care Month

March

1 – National Pig Day
2 – International Rescue Cat Day
3 – World Wildlife Day
11 – Key Deer Awareness Day
14 – National Learn About Butterflies Day
15 – International Day of Action Against Canadian Seal Slaughter
15 – Buzzards Day
16 – National Panda Day
19 – National Aardvark Day
19 – National Poultry Day
20 – Great American Meatout Day
20 – World Frog Day
20 – World Sparrow Day
20 – Save the Florida Panther Day
22 – International Seal Day
23 – National Puppy Day
23 – World Bear Day
27 – World Day for End of Fishing
31 – Manatee Appreciation Day

Professional Pet Sitters Week (7th-13th)

Termite Awareness Week (7th-13th)

National Animal Poison Prevention Week (21st-27th)

April

2 – National Ferret Day
3 – World Aquatic Animal Day
4 – World Rat Day
5 – International Golden Rule Day
7 – International Beaver Day
8 – National Dog Fighting Awareness Day
8 – National Pygmy Hippo Day
10 – National Farm Animals Day
11 – National Pet Day
12 – World Hamster Day
17 – International Bat Appreciation Day
17 – National Crawfish Day
21 – World Curlew Day
23 – National Lost Dog Awareness Day
23 – International Pallas’s Cat Day
24 – World Day for Lab Animals
24 – National Go Birding Day
24 – World Veterinary Day
25 – World Penguin Day
27 – Marine Mammal Rescue Day
27 – International Crow and Raven Appreciation Day
27 – International Hyena Day
27 – World Tapir Day
30 – National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
30 – National Animal Advocacy Day

Be Kind to Spiders Week (1st-7th)

National Wildlife Week (4th-10th)

Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week (11th-17th)

International Wildlife Film Festival Week (17th-22nd)

National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

May

1 – Save the Rhino Day
2 – World Tuna Day
2 – International Dawn Chorus Day
3 – International Wild Koala Day
3 – International Leopard Day
4 – International Respect for Chickens Day
8 – National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
8 – World Donkey Day
8 – World Migratory Bird Day
9 – National Veal Ban Action Day
10 – National Shrimp Day
14 – Fintastic Friday
20 – National Rescue Dog Day
20 – World Bee Day
21 – Endangered Species Day
22 – International Day for Biological Diversity
23 – World Turtle Day
26 – World Otter Day
28 – Whooping Crane Day
28 – World Dugong Day
29 – National Alligator Day
29 – National Snail Day
31 – World Parrot Day

Be Kind to Animals Week (2nd-8th)

National Eastern Box Turtle Week (2nd-8th)

Responsible Animal Guardian Month

National Duckling Month

June

1 – World Reef Awareness Day
1 – International Wild Salmon Day
2 – National Greyhound Day
5 – International Day For the Fight Against Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
5 – National Black Bear Day
6 – National Animal Rights Day
7 – June Bug Day
8 – International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos
11 – International Lynx Day
12 – National Cougar Day
13 – National Pigeon Day
14 – Ban Live Exports: International Awareness Day
15 – International Working Animal Day
16 – World Sea Turtle Day
17 – World Croc Day
19 – World Albatross Day
20 – National American Eagle Day
20 – International Horseshoe Crab Day
21 – World Giraffe Day
22 – World Camel Day
22 – National Pet Choking Prevention Day
23 – Pink Flamingo Day
25 – National Catfish Day
28 – Scarlet Macaw Day

Fish Are Friends Not Food Week (20th-26th)

Carpenter Ant Awareness Week (20th-26th)

Animal Rights Awareness Week (21st-27th)

Insect Week (21st-27th)

National Pollinators Month

National Foster A Pet Month

July

4 – Independence From Meat Day
10 – Don’t Step On a Bee Day
10 – National Kitten Day
11 – World Horse Day
13 – Cow Appreciation Day
14 – National Be Nice to Bugs Day
14 – Shark Awareness Day
14 – World Chimpanzee Day
14 – World Orca Day
15 – National Pet Fire Safety Day
16 – World Snake Day
16 – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day
21 – National Craft For Your Local Shelters Day
21 – No Pet Store Puppies Day
22 – Animal Law Day
28 – World Nature Conservation Day
29 – International Tiger Day
31 – National Mutt Day
31 – World Ranger Day

National Moth Week (TBD)

Wild About Wildlife Month

National Lost Pet Prevention Month

What’s missing from this list? Comment below!