National Pet Month with Purple Mash

National Pet Month, which runs from 1st April to 2nd May, is all about raising awareness of pet welfare and spreading the word about responsible pet ownership. Here at 2Simple a lot of us own our own little animals and a little later we’ll meet a few of our colleague’s pets. But first, let’s take a look at some Purple Mash activities that you can try throughout April and beyond.

Purple Mash activities

Using Purple Mash, you can celebrate National Pet Month with several activities, reinforcing the importance of pet welfare. Try out our Lost Dog or Lost Cat poster templates to design a poster about your missing pet. Be sure to include important information that means they’ll be found quickly – do they have an unusual marking on their fur? What colour are their eyes? What’s their name?

You can also write an information text about cats and dogs and either tell us all about your own dogs and cats, or research the dog or cat you would like to own – what's their favourite food? Which toy do they prefer? You can even use 2Count to make a Pet Pictogram to see how many pupils in your class have a certain animal.

Younger pupils may prefer to paint their own fish in its bowl or use our My Animal Paint Project to design their very own animal. You could even create an elebra (Elephant and Zebra mix) or a cog (Cat and Dog in one). The possibilities are endless!

Grab a 2Simple dog coat

2Simple dog coats are for teachers whose dogs join them in school. Dogs can help in school because they can help students with anxiety, or other problems, and make the school environment feel more welcome.

If your school has a therapy dog, you could dress them in the very stylish 2Simple dog coat, absolutely free, just like the lovely Dill the cockapoo from Old Earth School (pictured).

To order your dog their very own branded coat, just send us an email to community@2simple.com. Alternatively, tweet @2simple a picture of your dog with the words “I would love a 2Simple dog coat because...” and finish the sentence.

Meet the pets of 2Simple

National Pet Month seems the perfect time to tell you all about some of the pets we have and how they improve our wellbeing. Owning a pet has been proven to release endorphins, improve your wellbeing, and sometimes even increase your physical activity and fitness. It’s also proven that having a pet can reduce your levels of stress and anxiety through comfort, cuddles and even laughter. Some studies have even shown that pets are wonderful for emotional development. What’s not to love?

So, without further ado let us introduce you to some of our furry friends.

Summer

Age: 5 months old

Breed: We don’t know. She’s a complete mix

Human: Emma

Summer is very new to our family. She has been with us just over a week now after we adopted her from a dog rescue charity in North Macedonia and she has been a bundle of fun and energy since she arrived! She absolutely loves to chase sticks and balls around the garden and we're really looking forward to being able to take on some proper walks soon. She's a great work companion and sits beside me all day, although she will occasionally go and find a cardboard box or someone's shoe to destroy when I'm not paying her enough attention!

Wilbur

Age: 5 years old

Breed: Australian Cattle Dog

Human: Lydia

Wilbur's favourite people are his human sisters, Mia and Abby. He's also an amazing foster brother to any foster dog or puppy we look after while we find them a loving home. He loves to chase anything with wheels and although he is a Cattle Dog X breed, we think he's more of a 'Cuddle Dog'. If his humans aren't around for a cuddle, he loves to find a pillow to rest his head while he naps.

Lola

Age: 3 and a half

Breed: Cockapoo

Human: Dawn

Lola is a loveable puppy who also comes into the 2Simple office once a week to help out. She loves chasing balls and walks in the forest and then snuggling up on the sofa to watch some tv.

Bella Rose

Age: 2 years old

Breed: Jack Chi

Human: Abbie

Bella is a very loving and lively dog and she especially loves to sit on my lap when I am working and look at the amazing new Purple Mash features! She is small and very fiery just like her mum.

Nessa

Age: 18 months

Breed: mixed

Human: Gareth

Nessa’s favourite thing is 2GoForWalkies, when she’s not playing on Purple Mash that is!

Mouse

Age: 2 years old

Breed: Domestic Short Hair (just a regular old Moggy!)

Human: Emily

Mouse spends most of his day outside exploring and playing with the other neighbourhood cats. When he comes home his favourite thing to do is cuddle on my lap while I'm knitting or play with his catnip kicker. He helps my mental health by helping me de-stress with lots of kitty cuddles.

Share your work

We'd love to see what you're doing to mark National Pet Month. Share your work with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.