National Pet Day is on Thursday, April 11.  It began in 2006, when Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Page, who is an animal behaviorist decided she wanted to celebrate the joy that pets bring into people’s lives. As a Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert, she wanted to celebrate all pets. 

Pet ownership in the U.S. has jumped significantly over the past three decades. According to Michelle Megna for Forbes Magazine,  “In 2024, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) owned a pet. That’s an increase from 56% in 1988, pet ownership statistics. From companionship to emotional support, pets are a vital part of their owner’s lives.” When many people think of pets a dog or cat would normally come to mind, but pets can look a little bit different than that. Some may be a Ferret, Amphibians, Pygmy Goat, Racoon,Camel and many more. 

People will get a pet for various reasons. Some people may get a pet because they feel alone and want a best friend. Getting a pet has proven that it can increase your responsibility, relieve stress, boost your immunity, increase one’s mood dramatically, make them more active and it will make them happier.

OHS Agriculture teacher Ms. Jamie Gray says “Pets are a great way to get through hard times and happy times. I think they’re really important because they can help with keeping your mental health healthy. I think that they can help just give you a responsibility and a reason to sometimes do life,” Pets can be so helpful and mean so much to their owners. 

Senior Reagan Saufferer says, “When having ferrets I feel like they are more exciting because you don’t see them around often, they make me feel really great and they are really good pets overall,” Having unique pets can bring out the best in their owner.  

If one does not have a pet but still feels like they should be celebrated they can always consider spending some time visiting a shelter, local pet store, or any local farm where they can pet animals.