Pet Store Birthday Emails: How to Celebrate Your Customers' Furry Friends

TL;DR: Pet owners love celebrating their furry friends. Collect pet birthdays at checkout, send a discount when Fluffy turns 3, watch pet parents come back to spoil their babies. Works great for pet food, toys, and accessories stores.

Here’s something pet store owners figure out quickly: customers don’t just buy products – they’re shopping for a family member. And what do family members have? Birthdays. If you’re running a pet store on Shopify, you’re sitting on one of the most emotionally powerful marketing opportunities out there. (New to birthday emails? Start with the Happy Birthday App for Shopify.)

Why Pet Birthdays Hit Different

Regular birthday emails work because people like feeling remembered. Pet birthday emails work even better because:

• Pet owners are obsessed – They throw birthday parties. They buy birthday cakes. They post photos. This is not a casual relationship.
• It’s unexpected – Most stores send human birthday emails. A “Happy Birthday to Max!” email stands out.
• Guilt-free spending – “It’s his birthday, he deserves a new toy” is an easy justification.
• Annual repeat purchases – Dogs and cats have birthdays every year. So do hamsters, rabbits, and parrots. That’s recurring revenue.

If you want to understand why birthday emails outperform other marketing, pet stores are the perfect example. The emotional connection is already there.

How to Set It Up

The Happy Birthday App works the same for pet birthdays as human birthdays. You’re just asking a different question.

Step 1: Adjust Your Checkout Widget

Instead of “When’s your birthday?” your thank you page widget asks “When’s your pet’s birthday?”

You can customize the text to match your brand:

• “When does your furry friend turn a year older?”
• “Tell us your pet’s birthday for a special surprise!”
• “Want a birthday treat for your pup? Enter their birthday!”

Pro tip: use the “hide year” option. Pet owners often don’t know the exact birth year, especially for rescues. Day and month is enough.

Step 2: Customize Your Email

Your birthday email should speak to pet parents, not pets (obviously). Something like:

“Happy Birthday to your best friend! 🐾 Max is turning [age] and we think that deserves a celebration. Here’s 15% off to spoil him on his special day.”

Keep the subject line pet-focused:

• “It’s [Pet Name]’s birthday! Here’s a treat 🎂”
• “Happy Birthday to your furry friend!”
• “Time to spoil [Pet Name] – birthday discount inside”

Step 3: Choose Your Discount

Pet purchases tend to be either small (treats, toys) or large (food, beds, crates). Consider what works for your average order:

• Percentage off – 15-20% works well for mixed carts
• Fixed amount – “$5 off” for treat/toy shops, “$15 off” for food/supply stores
• Free gift – A birthday treat or toy with purchase (great for building loyalty)

Use unique codes so you can track which pet birthdays drive sales.

What About Multiple Pets?

Many customers have more than one pet. Options:

• Collect one birthday – Keep it simple, ask for their “main” pet
• Let them update later – They can add more pets via your signup form or landing page
• Use a landing page – Create a “Pet Birthday Club” page where they can register all their pets

The checkout widget captures the first pet. A dedicated Birthday Club landing page lets them add siblings.

Don’t Forget “Gotcha Day”

Here’s a bonus opportunity: adoption anniversaries. Many pet owners celebrate their “gotcha day” – the day they adopted their pet – just as much as birthdays.

If you sell to rescue-heavy audiences, consider asking for the adoption date instead of (or alongside) the birthday. Same concept, different angle.

Real Examples That Work

Pet food subscription stores: “Time to stock up for another year! Here’s 20% off Max’s birthday order.”

Pet toy shops: “Every birthday boy deserves a new toy. Pick one on us – free toy with any $30 purchase.”

Pet bakeries: “Order Max’s birthday cake! Use code BDAY15 for 15% off custom cakes this week.”

Pet accessories: “Dress them up for the big day – 15% off bandanas, bow ties, and party hats.”

Why This Works Better Than Generic Promos

You could run a “20% off pet toys” sale anytime. But birthday emails outperform generic promotions because:

• They’re personal – you remembered their pet
• They’re timely – sent at the perfect moment
• They’re expected – pet parents are already thinking about celebrating
• They create urgency – the birthday only lasts so long

A pet parent getting a birthday email for their dog feels seen. A generic “SALE!” email feels like spam.

Setting Up for International Pet Stores

Selling to pet owners across Europe or globally? The app supports 12 languages, so German pet parents get German emails, French pet parents get French emails. “Alles Gute zum Geburtstag für deinen Vierbeiner!” hits different than an English email.

Getting Started

Your Pet Birthday Club can be live today:

1. Install the Happy Birthday App
2. Customize the checkout widget text for pets
3. Create a pet-themed birthday email template
4. Set your discount (percentage, fixed, or free gift)
5. Start collecting pet birthdays

A year from now, you’ll be sending birthday emails to every pet that’s shopped with you. Automatic, personal, effective.

See the full setup in our Happy Birthday App for Shopify, or just try it free.