Whataburger Launches Line of Branded Pet Merch in Most Adorable Way

By Brendan Menapace

Well, folks, Whataburger is at it again. The restaurant is making a strong case for being the fast food chain with the best promotional presence. After rebranding an entire Minor League Baseball team, Texas’s crown jewel of fast food is appealing to a different demographic of fans—pets.

Whataburger is teaming up with the San Antonio Humane Society for an hour-long livestream of dogs playing with and among Whataburger-branded dog toys and more. It’s the content we all need right about now for sure. It’ll take place tomorrow on YouTube, coinciding with National Dog Day.

Save the Date - This Wednesday, August 26, tune in from 11.30am to 12.30pm! #NationalDogDay at the SAHS with Whataburger!https://t.co/vdcc2LYVng

— SA Humane Society (@sahumane) August 24, 2020

After everyone gets their aww’s out of the way, Whataburger will release a full line of pet-ready products, including leashes, toys, dog houses and more.

Celebrate National Dog Day with Whataburger and San Antonio Humane Societyhttps://t.co/cqpKp2gMPa pic.twitter.com/KaIxTu9faV

— Sandra Guerra-Cruz (@rockfan) August 25, 2020

Since there’s been so much demand for Whataburger-branded stuff in the past, there’s sure to be high demand for all things pet on the Whatastore, which right now is totally devoid of any pet products.

And as a result of people spending more time at home these days, dog adoptions are skyrocketing.

The Washington Post reported that many animal shelters have seen adoption increases since March, with some volunteers that have agreed to temporarily take on animals choosing to keep them permanently. And some dog breeders now have waiting lists all the way until next year. One breeder told the Post that they expect the adoption boom to continue for months.

Events like Whataburger’s, even without the promise of branded items, are now a common way to help out animals in need.

“There’s so much more interaction with the shelters before the adoption,” Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications for Animal Care Centers of NYC, told the Post. “You’re getting people who have found the animal on your website or on social media, have seen the video, read the bio, sent the email, asked for more information, then we do the virtual meet-and-greet—there’s a lot more interaction before the adoption happens.”