Many Hardcore Raiders left, and Top Guilds disbanded, during or after ICC. The content became too easy.
So we left the scraps for casuals like you. Enjoy.
The hardcore raiders and top guilds disbanded after they removed attunements during and after ICC? As in Icecrown Citadel? Yeah. That's what happened. Right.
Considering how there was no achievement system until patch 3.0, I'm not surprised that we ended up with two consecutive anniversary pets. Since the system was new, why not have a pet for the first WoW b-day achievement? The year afterward just happened to be a special one-time anniversary, so it got a pet too.
Wrong.
Edit: Here's an old blue post back from Nov 2010.
Originally Posted by Bashiok
(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
It was our front page announcement of the anniversary that stated you would only receive a feat of strength.
I'd potentially concede that because we didn't clearly state "You won't get a pet" people still held out some hope, but I also don't feel we were in the wrong by including all of the correct information.
We've never stated that every year we'd give a pet for the anniversary. I realize for the last two years that's been the case, and I do apologize that it created an expectation which wasn't met. I don't though believe we've somehow misled anyone as our announcement was clear and complete in the information it provided.
And yet nothing you posted here proves that the only reason we got a pet before was a "mega anniversary." Only that Blizz will sometimes award pets and sometimes not, which is exactly what I was alluding to.
"Fell deeds awake! Now for wrath; now for ruin, and the red dawn!"