Do you feed your dog the best and most expensive dog food money can buy? Do you dress them in cute costumes? Do you feel as though you are helping to put your Vet’s son through medical school? If you answered yes, you are not alone.
The American Pet Products Association’s annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent a record 58 billion dollars on their pets last year. The report goes on to say that most of the money is spent on food, followed by veterinary care, followed by supplies; bowls, collars, etc., over the counter meds and grooming costs. We even spent 370 million dollars on Halloween costumes alone last year.
HOW DO I LOOK?
Jacques sports his designer jacket
Many of us dog owners do actually travel once and awhile so of course we must either board our pets or pay a pet sitter. I’m embarrassed to admit how much I pay my pet sitter. When we go away for a week the amount often adds up to an extra plane fare.
Veterinary costs have risen over the years and so has the quality of care, but at a premium, now you can go to just about any medical specialist you can think of. I took my sweet little Leeloo to an eye specialist and an orthopedic specialist last year. Each visit cost close to $160. We are even more likely to think of our pet’s health before our own.
If you have noticed that the premium dog food you’ve been buying looks good enough to eat, that’s because it is. Several high end dog foods such as Honest Kitchen Dog Food and Caru Natural Dog Stews are considered human-grade by the USDA. We are even projecting our own human allergies on our pets lately, gluten – free is all the rage.
People spent more on their dogs than they did on going to the movies last year. I’d much prefer renting a movie and watching it at home with my dogs any day.
In 1994 when the first pet products survey was released, we spent a mere 17 billion on our pets. In 2015 we will most likely spend close to 60 billion and It is projected that this trend will continue to grow.
Pet sales of the animals themselves are down which is good news for shelter animals. Many cities have banned the sale of dogs from puppy mills. People are adopting homeless dogs more than ever.
It is estimated that Americans own about 83.3 million dogs and hopefully most of them are treated like one of the family. We are happy to spend our hard earned cash on our precious pets. Only the best for my fur-babies – how about you?
So what did you spend on your dog last year?
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-spent-a-record-56-billion-on-pets-last-year/