Thanks to social media, there’s a fast and low-cost way to reach out to pet owners with helpful information about making responsible choices for their pets.

First, you can talk with your animal welfare team or local shelter about doing social posts on pet parenting that the city can share on its channels.

If you have a communicator with capacity to do the writing, the city can also plan original posts about responsible pet ownership. Even better, consider a series of articles on your website and share them on social.

You can drive further engagement and reach by inviting people to share pictures of their pets that illustrate responsible behaviors, which you can then like or feature to keep the conversation going.

Here’s a sample calendar to help you get started.

January: Winter pet safety. Remind pet owners that if it’s too cold for them to stay outside, it’s too cold for pets to be left outside too. Share tips about safe winter practices like keeping pets on a short leash, using cold weather gear and wiping paws to remove salt after walks. Here’s a resource from Kinship that shares additional winter tips.

February: Love Your Pet Day. Highlight healthy ways to celebrate pets, like spending time together, making sure they have ID so they don’t get lost, and making responsible choices like always using a leash. Invite people to share pictures of their pets and be sure to like their adorable pix. This article from the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program shares more ideas.

March: Poison Prevention Week. Educate about pet poison hazards and how to keep pets safe. You can feature a different hazard each day during the week to raise awareness about common issues including plants, foods, human medications, garden items and household toxins. Check ASPCA as a reference, for its annual list of the top toxins for pets.

April: National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Share tips to help pet owners reduce the chance of bites, like always using a leash, training dogs to follow basic cues like “leave it” and “stay,” and understanding their dog’s body language so they can move away from situations that could result in a bite. Check this page from AVMA for helpful information.

May: Summer pet safety. Remind pet owners about the danger of letting pets get overheated in warm weather and especially about never leaving a pet in a car. Share tips for activities outdoors, like providing lots of water, taking breaks in the shade, and using caution around plants and insecticides. Here’s an article from ASPCA with more summer safety tips.

June: Pet Preparedness Month. Encourage pet owners to be ready in case of a weather or other emergency, with a well-stocked pet kit and evacuation plan. Ready.gov, the emergency resource from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has helpful advice and tools. This resource from the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program provides additional tips.

July: Fourth of July pet safety. Alert pet owners to the danger of lost pets around the Fourth of July, when the noise of fireworks can spook pets and cause them to run away. Encourage microchipping to help avoid lost pets. This resource from the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program provides more tips you are welcome to share.

August: Check the Chip Day. Remind pet owners about the importance of microchips to help lost pets get home. You could even work with a local shelter or veterinarian to host a microchip clinic where residents can get their pets chipped and/or check that chips are properly registered. Here’s information from AVMA with helpful statistics about the importance of chips.

September: National Preparedness Month. Take another opportunity to help pet owners prepare. Explain how your city communicates during emergencies, what resources you have for pet owners, and the importance of having a plan that includes pets. This article from Kinship shares additional helpful info.

October: Halloween pet safety. Share tips for Halloween celebrations, such as keeping people treats away from pets and making sure decorations are non-toxic and don’t have small, chewable parts. Check this article from the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program for additional tips.

November: Thanksgiving pet safety. Remind pet owners about safe holiday entertaining, like making sure pets don’t have access to people food, trash is put safety away where curious pets can’t reach, and pets have a safe and quiet space to relax if they get overwhelmed by having many people in the house. Check this post from AVMA for more helpful information.

December: Holiday pet safety. Talk about holiday safety, like securing trees in case pets try to climb them and choosing only pet-safe holiday plants. This is also a great time to share travel tips since many people travel with pets for the holidays. This article from the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program provides additional information.

Plus, find opportunities throughout the year to reinforce core responsible pet ownership messages like picking up dog waste, using a leash and following local pet ordinances.

Want more tips? Check out the Responsible Pet Ownership Communication Toolkit for help spreading the word on topics from local pet ordinances to pet waste cleanup to emergency preparedness.