American Humane’s Be Kind to Animals Week: What It Means and Why It Matters

Every May, something quite beautiful happens across the country. Animal lovers pause for a tradition that has lasted more than a hundred years. Be Kind to Animals Week, held during the first full week of May (May 3 to 9 in 2026), is the longest-running humane observance in the United States. The idea behind it is simple. Every animal deserves kindness, and not just for seven days a year.

For pet parents and animal advocates, this isn't just another date on the calendar. It's a chance to slow down, look at the animals in our lives, and do something real to support animals in our homes and communities.

How a Single Idea in 1915 Sparked a Movement

American Humane started this special week back in 1915. Animal welfare was barely part of public conversation back then. The campaign helped spark a cultural shift, encouraging people to be kinder to pets, working animals, wild animals, and farm animals.

The idea caught on quickly. President Warren G. Harding issued an official proclamation supporting it. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt mentioned it in her column for years. Stars like Shirley Temple, John Wayne, Doris Day, Carol Burnett, and Betty White all lent their voices over the decades. In 1955, President Eisenhower made it official, saying that "the measure of a nation's humanity is its treatment of all living creatures." The U.S. Congress officially recognized the week in 1990.

More than 110 years later, the mission hasn't changed. Only the reach has grown.

About American Humane

Founded in 1877, American Humane is the first national humane organization in the United States and the group behind Be Kind to Animals Week, which it created in 1915. Its mission is to protect the welfare of animals everywhere, including pets, farm animals, working animals, and wildlife. American Humane is best known for the "No Animals Were Harmed" certification on movie sets and the American Humane Certified™ seal for humanely raised food. 

Seven Days, Seven Ways to Make Compassion Count

American Humane breaks the week down into daily themes that make kindness practical. Each day suggests a small but meaningful action.

• Sunday, Start with Kindness: Begin with a small act, like donating supplies to animal shelters or refilling a backyard birdbath.
• Monday, Support Shelters and Rescues: Show up for the groups that work to help stray animals and rescue pets from cruelty or neglect.
• Tuesday, Choose Humane: Make compassion part of daily choices, from humanely raised foods to ethical entertainment.
• Wednesday, Care for Your Pets: Refresh your knowledge of responsible pet care, from emergency prep to routine wellness.
• Thursday, Protect Wildlife: Speak up for wild animals and the habitats they depend on.
• Friday, Celebrate the Human and Animal Bond: Honor service dogs, therapy animals, and the pets who change lives.
• Saturday, Be the Voice of the Voiceless: Support cruelty prevention awareness and animal-friendly legislation.

Together, these themes turn a feel-good week into a real plan for change.

The Quiet Heroes: Service Dogs and Support Animals

When we talk about kindness to animals, it's easy to focus only on the ones who need our help. But Be Kind to Animals Week is also a moment to recognize the animals who help us. The service dogs guiding their humans through busy streets. The therapy pets are visiting hospital rooms. These are the quiet heroes, and they deserve more than a passing thank-you.

Too often, these animals get overlooked. That's exactly why the law has stepped in to protect them.

Service dogs are recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects their right to accompany their handler in public spaces. Emotional support animals are protected in housing under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. And trained service dogs are protected during air travel under the Air Carrier Access Act.

Being kind to animals isn't just about the pets at home or the strays on the street. It's about acknowledging that some animals carry real weight in human lives, and they should never be ignored, dismissed, or pushed aside.

Small Acts, Big Ripples: How You Can Take Part

You don't need a big budget to make this week count.

• Adopt or foster from a local shelter instead of buying a pet.
• Donate supplies like blankets, food, or toys to a nearby rescue.
• Take the Kindness Pledge and commit to compassion all year round.
• Microchip and ID-tag your pets so they can always find their way home.
• Talk to kids about promoting animal kindness. Values learned early tend to stick for life.

More Than a Week. A Way of Living.

At HardyPaw, we believe Be Kind to Animals Week puts into words what every pet parent already feels. That kindness doesn't have to be big or complicated. It's the bowl of food set down with care. The walk you take, even when you don’t feel like it. The vet appointment, you don't skip. The patience you find on the hard days. These are the small, steady acts that shape an animal's whole life, and they end up shaping ours, too.

Maybe you have a senior dog snoring at your feet right now. Maybe a rescue cat is ruling your couch, or you have a soft spot for the squirrels in your backyard. Whatever your version looks like, this week is a reminder that our compassion really does shape the world around us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: When is Be Kind to Animals Week 2026?

Be Kind to Animals Week 2026 runs from Sunday, May 3, through Saturday, May 9, 2026. It is celebrated every year during the first full week of May.

Q2: What is Be Kind to Animals Week?

Be Kind to Animals Week is the longest-running humane observance in U.S. history. It was created by American Humane in 1915 to raise animal welfare awareness, encourage humane treatment of all animals, and inspire people to support animals in their homes and communities.

Q3: Why do we celebrate Be Kind to Animals Week?

Be Kind to Animals Week is celebrated to spotlight animal welfare, promote cruelty prevention awareness, and remind people that pets, wildlife, farm animals, and working animals all deserve compassion. The week also honors the deep bond between humans and animals.

Q4: What is the American Humane Kindness Pledge?

The Kindness Pledge is a free pledge from American Humane that asks people to commit to four humane actions year-round, like adopting from shelters, buying humanely raised animal products, watching movies that protect animal actors, visiting only American Humane Certified zoos and aquariums, and much more.

Q5: How can I support animal shelters during Be Kind to Animals Week?

You can support animal shelters by adopting or fostering a pet, donating money or supplies (food, blankets, toys, cleaning supplies), volunteering your time, sharing adoptable pets on social media, sponsoring vet care for a shelter animal, or organizing a supply drive in your neighborhood or workplace.