How regions across Canada enjoy the holidays with their pets

It’s Christmas sweaters and seafood in Atlantic Canada

Every Christmas, Pet Valu Animal Care Expert, Dustin Savage’s dinner table in Dartmouth, NS is decked out with a traditional turkey — but the next day it’s all about seafood. “Year-round it’s seafood,” he says, and Christmas is no exception.

“In my house, we'll have our basic turkey meal, but then we'll go have a separate meal and we'll usually have sushi,” he says, highlighting Eastern Canada’s bounty of fresh fish.

His cats can’t complain. “One of the main things our food and treats are is fish products. They have freeze-dried shrimp, freeze-dried salmon, minnow treats, and all kinds of fish and crab. Those are huge hits,” he says.

“Here, we're used to eating fish and a lot of customers will give whatever they're eating to their pets as well.”

Fish treats are at the top of his pets’ Christmas wish list and Dustin likes to use them as a holiday bargaining chip. “One of my cats has an actual Christmas sweater. The other one will not tolerate that. With the third one,” he adds, “you can do whatever you want. As long as she gets treats, she's happy.”

Ontario loves picking out a holiday tree and posing for pictures with Santa (for a good cause)

Erin O’Reilly, an Animal Care Expert from Orillia, ON loves to include her dog in the family tradition of picking out their holiday tree.

“A lot of fun for us in Ontario is going out and getting our tree. We dress up, dress the dog up and trudge out there to the Christmas tree lot. And then we spend half the day walking around trying to find the perfect Christmas tree that comes into our home.”

She notes, “the dog has as much fun as the kids. We probably go around more times than we need to. But definitely, they love sniffing and the adventure of it. Most places allow pets in, on leash. So it works out really well. It's a family event and everybody's welcome.”

Taking your pet to get their photo snapped with Santa is another fun way for pet parents to make holiday memories with their animals, but at the Pet Valu where O’Reilly works, it means even more.

“We have the best Santa,” she says. “He comes and works with us and the animals and it's all for donations to the local shelter. It's probably our biggest event. He's really good with the animals and he really looks the part,” she explains.

Erin’s store, like many across the country, also donates pet food to local food banks and runs cat litter drives, never missing an opportunity to make the most of this season of giving.

Central Canada loves the great outdoors and a gift tree for pets in need

It may be cold in Winnipeg, MB but that doesn’t stop Animal Care Expert, Jessica Keller, from getting outside to celebrate the winter season.

“Winnipeg has the river trail at The Forks. It allows you to get outside safely and enjoy the winter holidays,” she says, adding that the path is a popular New Year’s Eve destination for pet parents.

“It is one of the longest river trails in Canada. You can walk it, skate it, and cross-country ski it. Around the festive season there's lights, decorations, and holiday music and your pets can definitely come along.”

In-store, Jessica and her colleagues decorate a tree dedicated to pets in need.

“Every year we do a holiday tree and we have our local rescues that we work with, supply us with pictures and the names of the animals in care as well as a wish-list. Customers get to select and purchase something on the wish-list for those pets in need so they also get to enjoy a treat, a toy, or a special meal for the holidays.”

A festival of lights in Western Canada

In her store in Castlegar, BC, Animal Care Expert Sukanya Barjatya says she can feel the love her customers have for their fuzzy besties year-round, but especially during the winter holiday season.

“In my region, people love their fur babies, they do anything for them to make them happy and feel like they're part of the family,” says Sukanya. Pet parents in Western Canada, she says, are keen to include their pets in their celebrations, regardless of what holiday they’re marking.

“I had a conversation with one of my customers and she told me that she's going to her sister's place for Christmas dinner and they're taking the pets along with them to that dinner. I was very happy that people want their pets to go out for their holiday dinners with them.”

Besides celebrating with her two cats, Sukanya’s favourite part of the holidays is all the lights.

“Because of the multi-cultural community here in BC, I feel like people celebrate more. Diwali comes in November and then Christmas comes in December. There's a combination of the two festivals from different parts of the world and people love decorating their homes,” she says.

“When you open up a window, you see the mountains everywhere and you can see the homes [lit up] on the mountains. It looks so beautiful.”