Spreading Smiles: National Pet Day

Pets are undeniably positive for human health, offering both physical and mental benefits such as reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, decreasing loneliness, and encouraging exercise. They provide companionship, emotional support, security and empathy. Pets are also very influential in the development of children teaching responsibility, kindness and non-verbal communications. Pets also give children essential companionship. Overall, pets are profoundly good for people of all ages. The Project of a Smile is exited go around the city of Missoula on National Pet Day (April 11, 2026), visiting pets who need a home in pet shelters.

The Importance of Spreading Smiles to Pets in Shelters

Spreading smiles to pets in shelters is essential to the animal for several reasons:

• Physical Health: Shelter dogs are often in need of human connection and support. By talking, petting or treating them you can lower a shelter dog's heart rate and cortisol levels.

• Mental Health: Many shelter pets, such as dogs and cats, are often longing for connection and support, due to their long past of being raised to depend on humans and having them serve as companions. So, by spending time and treating the animals you can help to lower their stress and anxiety, and help reduce any built up anger some shelter animals often feel.

  
  

The Steps and Process of This Event

This event will consist of traveling around the city of Missoula with prepared animal toys, then handing them to many shelter animals. The preparation will involve these listed actions:

1. Planning and Getting Approval

   The first step will be to reach out to local shelters around the city, this allows us to get permissions and approval from then first. This will also allow us to know what animals we will be helping for future steps. Then we will plan out a detailed agenda and map for the day. This will ensure that every place we communicated with will get accounted for and that we stick to places that we have previous approval from. This step is also essential before the others to make sure that there is the correct number of toys created for the correct animals.

   
   

2. Toys-Decisions

   Now that a plan for where is set the next step is to make decisions on the toys. Research will be conducted on what good toys for the different types of animals are. Then decisions will be set as to what will be handed out in the action step.

   
   

3. Toys-Creation  

   The final step of of this prosses before the action step is to acquire the toys. That may consist of creating any handmade toys or shopping for toys.

   
   

4. Action

   The final step in this prosses is competed on the designated national day, April 11. The completed toys will be handed around to the shelters on the pre-planned map. This step is the most influential and is the day that The Project of a Smile exercise its mission.

A shelter dog receiving a friendly visit.

Credit: SPCA, Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare

The Project of a Smile's Goal Through This Event

The Project of a Smile always strives to help everyday people around the city of Missoula, however our goal through this event is to expand our net. We hope that this project makes an impact across everyone in Missoula, animals and people alike. We also hope that this event can help expand the awareness for pet adoptions.

How You Can Help

The Project of a Smile is always looking for help and support from the community. Here are some ways you can help:

1. Spread the Word and Follow Us on Social Media

   The best way to support our efforts is to just keep talking. Tell people about The Project of a Smile and our mission. We want to help as many people as we can, hoping to keeps spreading smiles. You can also follow us on social media, including Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook, all under variations of the user name @TheProjectofaSmile. Links to our Social Media are also under the connection tab on our website.

   
   

2. Stay Tuned on Upcoming Events

   The Project of a Smile does a minimum of 15 events a year, all of which will be regularly communicated on our website. Many events will have the opportunity to help with steps in the prosses, such as the action step and accepting donations.

   
   

3. Give Us Input

   This project is 100% for the community, so we would love your input. Feel encouraged to find our content tab and reach out to us anyway easiest for you. Give us helpful input on our events, our missions or on our impact on the community.

   
   

Conclusion

Showing appreciation will always be a goal The Project of a Smile strives for. This event, and future events like it are how we execute our mission for the community, animals and people alike. So, thank you for all your support in our endeavors.