Do Local Pet Stores Offer Holiday Freebies?
See which nearby pet stores have free Santa photos, food samples and pup-cup parties this holiday season.
Yes, local pet stores offer holiday freebies, mainly free pet photos with Santa, food samples and small party treats. These offers appear in November and December and vary by store, date and available slots. Petsgiving means Petco's in-store food-sampling event for pets.
Readers can use the season's event calendars to pick a nearby store, date and backup plan.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.
What is free at Petco this season?
Petco's 2026 Never Naughty, Always Nice campaign centers on completely free holiday events at local stores. Select stores offer free Santa photos during the season. According to Petco via PR Newswire, details appear in Petco's holiday campaign announcement.
Petco also scheduled free Petsgiving sampling events for Nov. 21-22, 2026. Shoppers can try fresh-frozen food, freeze-dried raw bites and toppers.
Recipe cards explain how to serve the samples at home.
Are PetSmart Santa photos and rewards free?
PetSmart ran free Paws and Claus pet photos with Santa on Dec. 13-14, 2025. Dogs, cats and small pets could take part, with booking through PetSmart.com.
According to a PetSmart press release via ADVFN, the event was nationwide in that year in PetSmart's Santa photo announcement. An earlier Paws and Claus event ran across U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico stores. PetSmart via Le Lézard said it required advance reservations through a Santa-photo page.
Past events were capacity-controlled, so early booking mattered. Treats Rewards, PetSmart's points program for members, adds a year-round perk that covers the holidays. Members receive 1,000 bonus points worth $2 for a pet birthday or Gotcha Day, plus one-time 2x points on treats.
According to PetSmart's Learning Center, terms appear in PetSmart's birthday and Gotcha Day explanation.
What do neighborhood franchise parties include?
Pet Supplies Plus stores are franchised, so each local shop sets its own holiday plan. Listings for Wyoming, MI and Homewood, AL show a Jolly Jubilee Holiday Party on Dec. 12, 2026.
According to Pet Supplies Plus store-events pages, the listing includes free pup cups, a holiday photo op and activities in the Wyoming store events listing. Pup cups are small treats handed out at the party. The photo op gives owners a holiday image with their pet.
Activities vary by store, so read the local listing for times and pet rules.
How do you lock in a free spot?
Offers are select-store, date-specific and capacity-controlled. Petco and PetSmart both describe local dates and reservation limits. Shoppers should confirm the local store page and reserve Santa-photo slots early.
Use this quick check before you go. It follows the limits stores list for dates and bookings. Start with the store page for the Wyoming, Homewood, Petco or PetSmart shop nearest you, then book the earliest open slot that fits your pet's routine.
- Check the local store page for date, time and pet types.
- Reserve a Santa-photo slot early where the store asks for booking.
- Bring Treats Rewards account details if you plan to use birthday points.