These cuddly fundraisers are popular to host during university exam weeks, but any organization can host one to bring joy to the community! Just follow these five steps:

1. Find an animal organization to partner with

The first item on the agenda of hosting a de-stress with pets day is finding the pets that attendees will come to see. If your organization is an animal shelter or another animal nonprofit with pets on hand, you can skip this step! 

Otherwise, reach out to one or more of these groups and ask if they’d be willing to partner with you for the event:

• Animal shelters
• Therapy dog organizations
• Pet rescue groups

Trained therapy dogs are the best option for de-stress with pets events, but if you can’t find therapy dogs, any pets with calm demeanors will work. 

2. Choose a date and location for your de-stress with pets day

Once you have a partner organization to provide the pets, work with them to determine the best date and location for the event. If your college wants the event to line up with finals week and take place on campus, for example, check with your partner organization to make sure that works for them. They may request that the event take place inside a large, quiet room so that the pets will be most comfortable.

3. Promote the event to students, employees, or community members

With planning squared away, it’s time to get the word out about the fundraiser! Create flyers, social media posts, and emails that promote the event to your desired audience. Include important information like the date, time, location, and cost of tickets.

Don’t forget to include a link to your event registration page, too! Consider adding a QR code to any physical flyers to make it easier for guests to buy tickets.

4. Set up a relaxing space

On the day of the event, gather everything you need to create a relaxing atmosphere for your de-stress with pets day. For example, you could set up:

• Blankets and comfortable chairs
• Relaxing music
• Pet toys
• Pet brushes

Make sure you cover all the pets’ needs too! This includes having enough pet food, water, shade, and a few dog trainers or animal shelter staff who can keep pets safe and under control throughout the event.

5. Host your de-stress with pets day and collect donations!

The time has come to host your relaxing event. Ensure that every attendee registers online in advance, or collect small donations at the door as an entrance fee. 

During the event, a few organizers or volunteers should monitor the number of people inside the room and the noise level. It’s important not to overcrowd the pets, so have a system in place where volunteers only let a certain number of people in at a time. Plus, you want to make sure the atmosphere remains relaxing for everyone.