Art Activities for Pet Shops

Art activities are a great way to connect a pet shop with customers and the community. Projects and ideas can promote pet care awareness and education. Find partners to work with in the community to create enthusiasm, participation and attract media attention. Look for ideas that promote your business and the entire community will look forward to each year.

  1. School Art Classes

    • Develop a partnership with schools. Invite schools to bring an art class to the pet shop for a field trip. Take advantage of the opportunity to teach the students about proper pet care and to answer their questions. Have the teacher bring back the artwork created by the students to display in the windows of the pet shop and inside of the store. This type of project will build "good will" among customers who live in proximity to the store and demonstrate the store's support for education. Thank the students by giving them discount coupons or giving them specialty items such as pencil boxes or paintbrushes engraved with the pet shop's logo.

    Animal Shelter Art Auction

    • Work with a local animal shelter, arts organizations and the media to sponsor a pet art auction. Invite photographers to take shots of animals in the pet store and in shelters. Invite local artists, jewelry makers and crafters to make one-of-a-kind pieces such as dog tags, leases, birdcages, backdrop scenes for aquariums, knitted coats for dogs and hand-thrown dishes for dogs and cats. Hold a big auction event for the items donated by artisans to raise money for the animal shelter.

    Pet Portraits

    • Hire local artists to create pet portraits. Invite customers to have an oil painting, sketch, professional photograph or work of modern art created that features their pet. You can use this idea for a promotion for the Christmas holidays or offer it as an ongoing service to pet shop customers. Develop a portfolio book to keep on display at the checkout counter so customers can select the style they want. Post "Ask about having a pet portrait" signs throughout the store, especially in the grooming area (if you have one) when customers are thinking about how good their pets look.

    Window Logo Montage

    • Create a window montage that features customers with their pets. Invite customers to bring in photographs they took with their pets. Get a huge poster board and use a marker to outline the name of the pet store. Fill in the letters with the pictures that customers bring in. Display the poster in the window or a main area of the store. For example, an owner for a store named "Barky's," could take a marker and write: "We Love," and then outline the letters B-A-R-K-Y-'-S, and fill the letters with pictures of pets and their owners.