A Gotcha Day Celebration!

Ryan and Lauri Vincent have fostered homeless dogs for the Humane Society of Utah for nearly two years, including senior dogs and three-month-old puppies with mange. Fostering is how they met Faith, their friendly and playful, nine-month-old pit bull breed type pup.

“Faith was around three days old when we first met her,” Lauri explains. “She had to be fed Pedialyte through a syringe, or she would die. This experience bonded our family so intensely that it felt like she was our baby in a way. So we decided to make her a member of our family.” 

On August 1st, Ryan, Lauri, their son Daniel and Faith attended our first annual Gotcha Day event, presented by Mountain West Veterinary Specialists (MWVS). This free event celebrated HSU adopters and included food vendors, photo-ops, live music, and an interactive community art piece. Plus, a birthday cake and puppuccinos for all the dogs in attendance!

“Most people who adopt pets don’t know the exact date their pet was born. We wanted to create an opportunity for our adopters to be able to observe their pet’s unofficial birthday. August 1 is “Dogust: The Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs, so it was the perfect day to celebrate together with our adopters.” explains Kaya Nielsen, our Events & Merchandise Manager. An adoption anniversary is typically called a ‘gotcha day,’ and throwing a party to celebrate the occasion has become common among adoptive pet parents. 

According to the American Pet Products Association, an estimated 1.7 million people throw Gotcha Day parties for their pets every year. Since 46 percent of individuals in America adopt from rescues, humane societies, and animal shelters, many people throwing parties for their pets don’t know their birthdays, which is why these events have become so popular over the years. 

Kirsten Gull, the owner of MVWS and longtime Utah Humane supporter, says, “We were so happy to sponsor this birthday celebration because we are always looking for ways to help our animal friends and make our community a better place.”  

For those interested in throwing an epic gotcha party for their rescued pet, we recommend coming up with a theme, ordering pupcakes from your local pet-friendly bakery, and getting party favors and food for the humans. 

If you’re hosting an outdoor party during the hot summer months, as we did, be sure to put out plenty of cold water and some plastic baby pools in your yard so your party guests and pets can go for a dip.