7 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Pet

New Year’s resolutions are a time for us to reflect on the past year and come up with ways to better ourselves in the coming year. These resolutions come in a variety of forms for people across the world. But, have you ever thought about your pet’s thoughts for the future.

Is Sparky feeling a little heavy following all those holiday meals? Has Lucky been a little lazy the past couple months? And is Daisy needing to get out of that toxic relationship? We have a feeling that dog and cat resolutions may look more similar to our’s than we may have originally thought. Here are eight New Year’s resolutions your pet may have this year.

1. Lose Those Extra Ounces

The number one New Year’s resolution for people and animals alike is to get back in shape. Animals don’t know it but people know when our pets need to get healthier for their wellness. A dog park membership is a great way to find motivation to get back in shape. Your pup will have the opportunity to make friends while getting in shape. Maybe your local dog park has classes and exercise groups that will make this New Year’s resolution the easiest to keep on top of. If a dog park seems unfeasible, why not take up running with your canine companion. This new bonding activity will fulfill both of your New Year’s resolutions at once.

2. Get Out of That Terrible Relationship

Is your furry friend stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere? Do they get bullied by other dogs at the dog park? Perhaps the pretty dog next door they’ve been pining over just isn’t interested. A New Year’s resolution to get out of that dead-end relationship may be just the motivation they need to stand up for themselves and move on. It’s not always easy breaking up with your significant other or moving on, but sometimes is it necessary to make advances in your personal life. A pup’s gotta do what a pup’s gotta do.

3. Find the Dream Job

Having a job you love can make all the difference in your life. When you feel accomplished at work, you feel accomplished in life. Finding the dream job, however, isn’t always easy. Maybe your dog has always dreamed of using their talented nose for good. Is it time for them to find a job in search and rescue? Would your cat like to finally break into the pest control field? It takes perfecting your resume and acing the interview to land that dream job. Luckily, for most pups and kittens, their adorable face is all the material they need to land the position they were born to do.

4. Eat Healthier

A resolution that goes paw-in-paw with the goal of losing some weight and getting back into shape, eating healthier is an important goal to set in 2015. A bad diet can not only add to obesity in many animals, but to dental problems and other health issues. Our suggestion to those motivated furry friends out there: eat more fruits and veggies and cut back on fatty foods. In no time you’ll see that your coat is more shiny and you’ll have more energy (to your parent’s dismay).

5. Go Back to School

Continuing your education is a noble pursuit. It takes time and energy. If you are willing to put forth the effort, it can help make strides in your personal and professional life. Every dog and cat wants to learn more, whether they know it or not. Dogs aren’t only interested in eating your homework, they often want to complete their own. Going back to school is a fantastic resolution to have for this new year. Perhaps they want to try their paw at an agility class, or finally buckle down and complete the old obedience school degree. If your furry friend follows through (doesn’t sleep through class) and gets their degree, their future will be bright!

6. See More of the World

Getting out and experiencing the world is not only exciting, but it can help you grow. Being immersed in other cultures and uncomfortable situations will broaden your idea of the world, and hopefully, help you to become more grounded. Every animal should see new areas and aim to experience new things. Having a goal of seeing a new place each year is a great idea! So, dogs (and yes, even cats!) make it a point to travel somewhere. It doesn’t even have to be too far from your normal hangouts.

7. Spend More Time With Family

The most important part of any person or animal’s life is their family. We often get caught up in daily responsibilities and work to improve ourselves, as the previous resolutions indicate. Spending more time with your family is a sure way to increase happiness in your life. No matter what your family looks or acts like, make extra time to do fun things together. You’ll appreciate this time when you look back.

8. Help your friends find a home! 

A great New Year’s resolution should be to be so irresistibly cute that everyone feels inspired to adopt more furry friends! Imagine wagging your tail with extra enthusiasm, perfecting those puppy-dog eyes, and mastering the art of the playful tilt of head. After all, who could resist a cuddly companion? Let’s make the world a happier place, one adorable pup at a time and when it’s time to adopt, tell people to visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals.

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
• Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!