Publisher’s all set with special dogs meet and greet in Brighton store
The greeting card industry loves its furred, finned and feathered friends so it can’t let National Pet Day pass without marking it – publisher and retailer I Drew This is one going all out for a fabulous day.
The big event is on Thursday, 11 April, celebrating the joy that pets bring into people’s lives and encouraging people to help reduce the number of animals in shelters.
I Drew This founder Ilona Drew is looking forward to her first dog social gathering, noon-2pm on Thursday, at her new retail store in Brighton, where owner can have a herbal tea while the pooches meet and greet.
“The best dog trick will win a treat and best-dressed dog will receive a sticker, card and treat, and @snappysnapsbrighton have offered a free photo to those attending,” Ilona said, “this is going to be chaotic fun!
“We’re getting really excited here about the dog party and everyone has been enjoying taking pics of dogs with cards in the shop – I love it, although taking photos of dogs isn’t easy.”
In the greetings industry it’s dogs that are the most popular pets, although cats and tropical fish are also great companions, as the Pet Foods Manufacturing Association’s latest data shows there are 34m pets in the UK – 12m dogs; 12m cats; 3m birds and fowl; 2.4m rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters; 1.5m reptiles; and 5m indoor fish tanks.
And, ahead of National Pet Day, The Works’ new study has unveiled the fictional pets and animals that are the most loved in the UK, having explored Google’s search volume of fictional animals across books, TV, film, and video games, and discovering only one of the top 10 is under 54 years old, or 232 in doggy years.
Fittingly in his centenary year, top of the pops is Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne’s loveable companion for Christopher Robin, first introduced as Edward Bear in the 1924 poetry book When We Were Very Young.
In second place Pikachu is the youngest in the list, as the Pokémon character landed in 1996 while Scooby-Doo (1969) is third, followed in order by Garfield (1978), Peter Rabbit (1902), Paddington Bear (1958), Curious George (1939), Stuart Little (1945), Snoopy (1950), and Lady from Lady And The Tramp (1955).
