Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week – April 11, 2027

Expected Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week Deals

During Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, the focus shifts from commercial deals to heartfelt recognition and support for these vital professionals. Many local animal shelters and humane societies, such as the ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States, organize events to highlight their staff’s work and encourage community involvement. Companies like PetSmart Charities and Petco Love often partner with local organizations to provide grants, supplies, or host adoption events that indirectly support animal care workers. Veterinary clinics, including those part of VCA Animal Hospitals, may offer special appreciation days or small gifts for local animal control teams. Additionally, brands like Purina and Hill’s Pet Nutrition sometimes donate food or supplies to shelters, easing the burden on staff. Consider donating to your local animal care and control agency or volunteering your time. We will update this page with confirmed live appreciation programs as April approaches.

History of Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week

Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week is endorsed by the non-profit National Animal Care and Control Association, which was formed at a meeting in Englewood, in 1978. The organization was founded to improve animal welfare and join hands with all the agencies involved with animals throughout the world to come together and establish communication.

Mike Burgwin, the director of an animal control agency in Oregon, is the man behind the idea to form a care and control association as he was frustrated by the lack of resources available. He was appalled by the dearth of information on animal control and, after gathering a team, he formed an animal control association in the state of Oregon. The organization was a runaway success, which led to the thought that if it could work so well in one state, why wouldn’t it work equally well in others?

And so, Burgwin, driven by a love for animal welfare, a need for the enforcement of laws for animals, and the importance of layman safety, wrote to Warren Cox, the director of the Animal Protection Division of the American Humane Association. Together with Cox, Burgwin wrote a letter to call for all animal care personnel to come together for a meeting that envisions a world where animal care professionals are respected as public servants and constantly supported.

At Englewood, Colorado, 49 people belonging to 24 states met in a conference on September 27 and voted to form the National Animal Care and Control Association. The non-profit organization is committed to improving professionalism in animal welfare and public safety through training, networking, and advocacy. The appreciation week is part of a movement to recognize animal care and control officers as professionals who have continued to provide the highest quality of life to animals and citizens.