I’ve never been a pet lover.

Aside from my brothers, we didn’t really have animals in the house growing up. Pets seemed like a lot of work, and I had enough responsibilities: wrestling, basketball, Dunkaroos, etc. Conversely, my girlfriend adores dogs. Her heart has never quite healed from losing Studlee, her black boxer from childhood. When we bought a house last April, she quickly became acquainted with our neighbors’ dogs and stressed how spacious our yard is. It was only a matter of time before she wore me down.

After proving that we still enjoyed each other’s company during lockdown, our friends asked what’s next: a ring, a baby or a dog. Well, we’re in a recession and I’m not ready to lose my drinking partner for nine months, so I reluctantly agreed to the latter. On Christmas morning, my icy heart melted in the paws of Clarice, an adorable 18-week-old boxer/terrier from Tennessee that we named after Agent Starling.

It was love at first lick.

Not only have I become a poop-scooping, fetch-playing, belly-rubbing puppy parent, I’m a new customer in the $95 billion pet market. I’m buying food, beds, wipes, toys, etc. Meanwhile, my girlfriend is on the hunt for ridiculous puppy dresses.

What’s surprised me about this adventure has been the lack of promotional products. We picked up Clarice from a foster home connected to Pennsylvania-based Hemlock Edge Rescue. All we received was a leash, her toy rabbit and paperwork regarding what shots she’s had. To be fair, the paperwork came in a folder with a Hemlock Edge sticker on front and a business card inside, but c’mon. There’s so much promo opportunity available. Branded pens, apparel, toys, balls and a logoed tote bag to carry it all. You can also celebrate first-time pet owners, giving out pins, buttons or hats like Disney World does for first-time visitors.

Hemlock Edge’s website has a “Shop” section, but it’s still being worked on and no products are available. Scouring its Facebook page, I found posts about purchasing branded tie-dye T-shirts and tank tops made from a local decorator on Etsy. A savvy promo firm should reach out and offer to create and manage an online store for the rescue – this is a brand folks would be proud to support and showcase. For example, the distributor could provide branded merch for customers to wear in photos with their new pets for “Adoption Day” posts.

The veterinarian’s promo game was only slightly better. We received a branded tote bag with medication, paperwork and a non-branded measuring cup. Adding some logoed accessories into the bag like a Frisbee, tennis ball or teething toy would entice first-time customers to return. Once that relationship has been established, maybe the vet could commemorate anniversaries with a custom dog tag or engraved dog bowl.

Distributors scrambling for business during Q1 should be targeting vets, rescue shelters, kennels, groomers and other potential clients. After all, the pet market is considered recession-proof because people refuse to stop spoiling their furry friends. According to an American Pet Products Association (APPA) survey, 64% of pet owners have spent the same amount of money on their pets as they did pre-pandemic, and 21% have spent more.

If you type “pets” in ESP, ASI’s database of products from around the promo industry, tens of thousands of results pop up. There’s so much potential for distributors to unleash their creativity and land repeat business. While I might scoff at Clarice’s ballerina dress, we couldn’t walk three steps without a passerby stopping to comment. Imagine if that outfit had the rescue shelter or vet’s logo on it – it’s the cutest advertising money can buy!

As our walks get longer, I hope to see more distributors capitalizing on the explosive pet market. Because if we learned anything from 2020, it’s that you can teach an old dog new tricks.