Even if you don’t celebrate a Gotcha Day in your household, if you occasionally scroll social media, you have probably seen proud pet parents celebrating their rescue pet’s Gotcha Day, the anniversary of when their adopted shelter pet became an official part of their family.
According to Wikipedia, the term Gotcha Day came be in the early 2000s and was coined by author Margaret Schwartz in her book The Pumpkin Patch. Therein, she declared September 15, 2005 as International Gotcha Day and used the term in reference to the international adoption of children, not animals. However, there is evidence of the term Gotcha Day being used earlier with a 1985 book titled The Glad I Gotcha Day.
The term received some criticism by child advocates, who stated that the term Gotcha Day focuses on the adults and not the children. Concerns about the term reflecting children being objectified or captured were also raised.
Animal shelter staff and volunteers embraced the term, and Gotcha Day quickly turned in to a cultural phenomenon, marking the anniversary of the day a rescue animal is officially adopted into its forever home. While some pet parents simply share a message of love, others are happy to broadcast elaborate celebrations and glow ups.
Either way, you do not have to be an animal lover to appreciate this day that celebrates a day of commitment, love and devotion. Gotcha Days honor and celebrate uncertainty to forever devotion; abandonment or surrender to second chances; and most importantly, Gotcha Days celebrate the remarkable bond that a human can have with an animal.
Check out the Shop for Good Section at CapeMerc.com that includes products from GivePet, like the Gotcha Day Paw-ty Soft-Baked Dog Treats.