Checkout our data science team’s analysis of the state of pets and animal welfare in the United States in 2020.
- Pet ownership – an astonishing 68 percent of American households own at least one kind of pet.
- Pet industry – a $95 billion business dominates the national economy.
- Pet adoption – roughly 3.2 million animals are adopted from shelters each year.
- Animal shelters – the 10,000+ shelters, rescue groups and sanctuaries take in over 6 million animals each year.
- Animal euthanasia – despite upticks in adoption rates, over 4,000 animals are euthanized each day.
- Puppy mills – only half of the 4.3 million born in puppy mills each year survive past 12 weeks.
- Animal testing – taxpayers spend $14 billion per year to keep over 22 million animals in laboratories.
- Microchipping costs – for an average cost of $45, a veterinarian can non-surgically implant a microchip that increases lost pet return rates by over 500 percent.
- Cloning costs – $37,500 is the average price of cloning a pet, a 70 percent decline since 2010.
- Grain-free dog food – while grain-free foods may serve to supplement a healthful diet, data suggest a completely grain-free diet may be harmful for up to 93 percent of dogs.
- Therapy dogs – animal-assisted therapy boosts oxytocin levels in humans by as much as 300 percent, easing anxiety and lowering blood pressure.
Check back often for more insights and data deep dives.