If you’re an Assistance Dog handler or pet owner, you might be curious to know: What exactly is World Pet Health Month? Why is it celebrated in February? Who created it? And how can you join this pet health movement?

Blue Badge Insurance is here to answer these questions and more. Given that we provide Assistance Dog insurance and pet insurance, we’re well aware of how important pet health is. That’s why we’re getting involved in this annual World Pet Health Month, to support pet health and increase awareness around preventive measures and common health issues for dogs and cats.

Find out more about what World Pet Health Month stands for, how it began, and how you can celebrate it this February. You’ll also find expert veterinary guidance and some fun, practical ways to make a difference (from signing a promise to accessing totally free pet health resources).

What is World Pet Health Month?

World Pet Health Month is a global movement dedicated to celebrating and protecting the overall health of the animals who rely on us for everything—love, safety, comfort and care.

Pet health deserves human support. While human healthcare is subsidised, animals don’t have that benefit. As pet owners or Assistance Dog handlers, that means we’re fully responsible for vet bills. This is just one of several reasons pet health knowledge is so valuable.

Protecting pet health can begin as early as researching where to find an ethical breeder, even before you get your pet. Ethical breeders are invested in health screening and DNA testing to help prevent breed-specific health issues from being passed from one generation to the next.

Having cat or dog insurance can also be a way to safeguard pet health by ensuring you can pay for covered health issues and be reimbursed by your pet’s policy. This can help you make faster decisions around providing the right vet treatments when your animal needs it most.

Find out more about when to get dog and puppy insurance.

When is World Pet Health Month?

It launches for the very first time in February 2026, created to unite pet owners around the world behind a simple but powerful idea:

Whether your pet supports you emotionally, physically, or simply as a cherished member of the family, World Pet Health Month invites everyone—owners, trainers, breeders, shelters, and even animal lovers without pets—to come together and champion better everyday care.

You can look forward to this movement every February. World Pet Health Month runs throughout the month, so in 2026, it runs from Sunday 1^st February to Saturday 28^th February.

All pets deserve to have their health protected. When it comes to Assistance Dogs, it’s worth also finding out what goes into training and certifying them to do their invaluable work by reading all about the dog PAT test.

Of course, just as much as we humans rely on them, they rely on us too – especially if they’re injured or ill. That’s why you might also like finding out whether pet insurance for Assistance Dogs is worth it.

Who started World Pet Health Month?

World Pet Health Month was established by PD Insurance as a pet health collaboration – take a look at the founders here:

• Blue Badge Insurance – providing insurance for Assistance Dogs and pets in Australia
• PD Insurance – the New Zealand pet insurance specialist spearheading the initiative
• Healthy Pets NZ – supporting independent veterinary research for Kiwi pets

Together, we share the mission to spread awareness about proactive pet health. Because while pets give us unconditional love, they still depend on us to help them stay healthy throughout their (often too short) lives.

Why February?

Since February is home to the leap year, it provides the perfect analogy for pet lifespans: a leap year represents four regular years. For many pets, like dogs for example, a year in their life is similar to four or more years in a human lifespan, meaning they live faster, shorter lives than us.

Pets often age faster than humans—sometimes much faster. Which is why a single year of poor health for them can be equivalent to several unhealthy years for us.

So February became the perfect moment to stop, reflect, and recommit to making each year in a pet’s life count by joining the pet health movement. Learn about preventive care for overall pet health, with vet advice up next.

Vet tips for protecting your pet’s health

As a cofounder of World Pet Health Month, Healthy Pets NZ provides insight into protecting your pet’s health. Healthy Pets NZ veterinarian Dr Sally Cory shares nine simple, powerful ways to protect them:

1. Don’t delay vet visits. Small changes can signal bigger issues.
2. Skip DIY remedies. They can do more harm than good — ask your vet first.
3. Watch the calories. Extra weight = extra health risks.
4. Care for their teeth. Early dental care saves pain and money later.
5. Do yearly checks. Routine blood, urine and dental cleans keep pets healthier for longer.
6. No human medication. Many are toxic — always check with your vet.
7. Stick to proper pet food. Consistent, species-appropriate diets matter.
8. Behaviour changes? Could be pain or aging, not mischief.
9. Budget for vet care. Being prepared helps you do what’s best for them.

And, while we’re talking about pet health, you might also be interested to learn if pets can improve our mental health? And about the many physical benefits of owning a pet.

Once you’re done there, you can also read about Yoda the PTSD dog and how he helps his owner.

How to celebrate World Pet Health Month

There are plenty of ways to get involved, from creating a social post to spending time with your pet or learning about pet health prevention and management, for example. Here are some simple, meaningful actions you can take to join this pet health movement:

1. Make the Promise

Add your name to the global World Pet Health Month promise—a commitment to better everyday pet care.
You can sign it with your own name and add your pet’s signature too. Once that’s done, you have the option to receive it as a certificate via email to keep or even print out and frame. Feel free to share it online with friends or family so they can join the pet health movement too.

2. Volunteer or donate to an animal shelter

Shelters rely on community support. You can volunteer your time, fundraise, or donate supplies. Each act of kindness helps animals waiting for a brighter future. Find out more about what Assistance Dog puppy volunteers do to see if this is something you’d like to get involved in.

3. Enjoy free pet health resources

You can download several free World Pet Health Month resources to print out and enjoy at home (or simply view online):

• Dog age in human years converter. Dogs age differently depending on size and life stage—much more complex than the old “one year equals seven.” Talk to your vet about how different growth phases affect how much exercise they need and consider feeding them a breed and age specific diet. Download the free dog-to-human years chart here.
• World Pet Health Month calendar. This 2026 calendar is the perfect addition to print out for your fridge to track the days and months of the year. Of course, you’ll also see where World Pet Health Month falls as a nice reminder.
• Cat food guide for healthy feeding. Not every food is safe or nutritious for cats (fun fact: adult cats are lactose intolerant!). Download the printable cat food safety chart here.

You’re also welcome to share the links to any of the above resources, since they’re completely free.

Fast pet health facts

Here are some quick insights that highlight why World Pet Health Month matters:

• Australia has 30+ million pets but roughly only 15,000 vets—meaning access can be stretched.
• Dogs have more than 900 hereditary conditions; cats have more than 450.
• 80% of dogs and cats aged 3+ have dental disease.

Pet insurance plays a growing role in ensuring animals receive necessary care without heartbreaking financial decisions. At Blue Badge Insurance, we see this every day—especially for Assistance Dogs whose health is essential to the wellbeing of their handlers.

Find out more about what the difference is between an Assistance Dog, emotional support dog or therapy dog.

Ready to protect your pet or Assistance Dog?

Without pet insurance, veterinary care in Australia can be costly and leave you significantly out of pocket. Blue Badge Insurance offers Assistance Dogs Insurance to help ease the financial burden.

Like all animals, Assistance Dogs can be injured, fall ill, or unintentionally cause damage to someone else’s property. Assistance Dogs Insurance helps cover the cost of a broad range of veterinary treatments and gives you third party liability protection. This helps protect you financially by making it easier to manage unexpected vet expenses or costs that your pet causes which you’re liable for.

If your companion isn’t an Assistance Dog but a much-loved family pet, our pet insurance delivers the same level of protection. Click below to get started and join the global movement to protect pet health—this February and every day after.