Did you know? There are a whopping 80 million dogs scattered throughout the United States, almost 10% of the total number of dogs throughout the world!
That is GOT to make the US one of the most dog-lovin’ nations in the world.
With that many dogs, it is no wonder that the pet industry in the US is a burgeoning one that is still on its way up.
If you’ve ever wondered what made dogs in the US so popular, here are more mind-boggling stats.
By Adeline Ee.
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In the United States, how many people own dogs?
In March 2021, a study of 2,000 Americans discovered the following:
- 38% of households in the US own at least one dog
- There are almost 80 million dogs in total throughout the US
- The average number of dogs per household is 1.6
- 7.53% percent of people do not have a dog but intend to get one in the near future
- 5.58% percent of respondents say they don’t have a dog but plan to adopt one in the near future (yay for them!)
You know what affects the likelihood of owning a dog? Age.
People between the ages of 35 and 44 have the highest likelihood of owning at least one dog (72.38%), and those over 55 having the lowest (45.14%).
Do you know what owns 47% of all US households?
It’s a tiny dog!
According to dog statistics, half of all American homes own a dog.
Out of 128 million households in the US, 69 million (54%) of households own at least one dog.
More than 85% of respondents surveyed stated that they see their dogs as a beloved family member, while a mere 3% pet owners see their pets as property. (Boo!)
What’s more, the majority of them (>47%) have a little dog, while 31% own a medium dog and 36% a large dog.
56% of all pet dogs are “pure breed,” and 78% are spayed or neutered.
Are dog owners happier?
Many individuals find it difficult to establish new acquaintances, but dog owners are not among them.
Almost half of all people who own a dog find it easier to establish friends and over 40% stated that owning a dog improved their social connections.
According to one survey, four out of every five dog owners talk with other individuals who also have a pet dog on their walks.
Do dog owners live longer?
Yes they do! Owners of dogs who live alone with their pets have been found to have a 33% lower chance of dying prematurely.
According to one study, those who own pet dogs have longer lives. Dog statistics reveal that people who live alone are more likely to die young, while dog owners are not.
Dog owners are more active and live better lives than non-owners, which benefits their general health.
Lonely and anxious?
Dogs have been shown to help reduce anxiety and loneliness by 60%.
College students suffering from despair, anxiety, and loneliness were given therapy dogs for a couple of hours in one research.
Students reported experiencing some respite from their anxiety after spending time with the pets. No wonder therapy dogs are the undisputed shrinks!
Dog ownership in search
Wanna know more about dog ownership?
Examining how and how often people search for something or trends on Google is an excellent way to acquire insight about their popularity.
I looked at the amount of persons searching for down ownership in the United States as a whole, as well as state by state.
- Nearly three-quarters of residents in Houston, Texas, own at least one dog.
- Three of the top five cities in the United States for dog ownership are in California.
- On the other hand, just 47.65% of persons living in or near Washington, DC own a dog.
(Source: Towards Data Science, ASPCA)
How much doggy expenditure goes to veterinary and medical services?
The typical cost of dog ownership is heavily influenced by your pet’s health.
More than half of American households own at least a dog, spending more than a billion dollars on dog healthcare, or 35.7% of annual doggy expenses.
Dog owners average 2.7 vet visits a year, costing an average of $349 in emergency treatments, at times more than their own healthcare costs!
How much does it cost to train a dog?
A well-trained dog is a happy one. A dog must be trained regardless of whether it is misbehaving or suffers from separation anxiety.
Training can be costly, typically costing approximately $30 to $80 per group class.
Obedience training schools can cost between $200 and $600 weekly, while boot camp is about double that.
Service dog training costs in the thousands, and is a long, rewarding process that can take several months, if not years.
65% of all abused animals are dogs
It’s been proven that animal abuse and domestic abuse are closely related.
Additionally, more than 70% of animal abusers also have a history of other violent crimes.
Every year, a heartbreaking 10 million dogs in the US die of neglect and abuse.
One in four of these dogs are Pit Bull Terriers.
Every year, around 3.1 million dogs are taken into animal shelters in the United States
In total, about 6.3 million dogs and cats end up in shelters each year.
Dogs account for about half of this number at about 3.1 million a year, down from 3.9 million in 2011.
According to ASPCA data, this signifies a significant fall in the number of dogs entering shelters. In comparison, there were around 3.9 million dogs in animal shelters in 2011.
Almost a million dogs enter shelters as strays, and fortunately more than 90% are returned safely to their owners.
This percentage is way higher than cats, which often get taken in as strays with little chance of being reunited with their owners.
About 810,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners.
Of those, 710,000 are dogs and 100,000 are cats.
There IS some good news though! Approximately 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year (2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats).
Photo by Donald.