Data and facts about the owned dogs of United States.
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Highlights
Pet Ownership
Jump to: Pet Ownership by Family Structure and Demographics
Pet Ownership by Family Structure and Demographics
External link:
Lawton LE. All in the Family: Pets and Family Structure. Populations. 2025; 1(2):8. https://doi.org/10.3390/populations1020008
Total Number of Pets
| 1981 * | 1991 * | 2001 ** | 2006 *** | 2012 *** | 2012 ** | 2012 + | 2020 *** | 2024 + | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Dogs | 53,831,000 | 53,272,000 | 61,293,000 | 72,100,000 | 69,900,000 | 71,168,000 | 83,000,000 | 85,582,105 | 89,700,000 |
| Number of Cats | 44,579,000 | 62,434,000 | 75,601,000 | 81,700,000 | 74,100,000 | 73,394,200 | 95,600,000 | 61,542,654 | 73,800,000 |
| Total Number of HHs in US † | 82,638,000 | 94,312,000 | 108,289,000 | 114,384,000 | 121,084,000 | 121,024,000 | 121,084,000 | 128,451,000 | 132,216,000 |
| Average Number of dogs/HH | 0.651 | 0.565 | 0.566 | 0.630 | 0.577 | 0.588 | 0.685 | 0.666 | 0.678 |
| Average Number of cats/HH | 0.539 | 0.662 | 0.698 | 0.714 | 0.612 | 0.606 | 0.790 | 0.479 | 0.558 |
Source: * Packaged Facts International 2014; ** Euromonitor International, *** AVMA; † US Census household counts, Table HH-1, November 2022. + APPA.
Pet Ownership by Family Structure and Demographics
| Ownership % | No Dogs or Cats | Cats Only | Dogs Only | Dogs & Cats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 40.4 | 14.0 | 30.4 | 15.2 |
| Family Structures | ||||
| Married no children | 36.2 | 17.3 | 30.6 | 15.9 |
| Partnered no children | 27.2 | 21.1 | 28.9 | 22.8 1 |
| Married children < 18 | 35.7 | 10.6 | 35.5 | 18.2 |
| Partnered children < 18 | 23.3 | 18.0 | 37.0 | 21.7 1 |
| Married children 18+ only | 38.8 | 12.0 | 35.0 | 14.2 |
| Partnered children 18+ only | 27.8 | 6.7 1 | 42.2 1 | 23.3 1 |
| Single no children | 51.5 | 15.4 | 23.4 | 9.7 |
| Single children < 18 | 42.0 | 10.7 | 30.3 | 17.0 |
| Single children 18+ | 50.0 | 14.7 | 24.5 | 10.8 |
| Socioeconomic Variables | ||||
| Home renter | 48.7 | 13.9 | 25.8 | 11.7 |
| Homeowner | 36.5 | 14.0 | 32.6 | 16.9 |
| Has Bachelor’s+ | 44.5 | 15.5 | 30.0 | 10.0 |
| Less than BA/BS | 38.2 | 13.3 | 30.7 | 17.9 |
| White non-Hispanic | 33.9 | 16.8 | 31.7 | 17.7 |
| Black non-Hispanic | 70.3 | 5.0 | 20.6 | 4.1 |
| Hispanic | 36.6 | 10.5 | 37.1 | 15.8 |
| Asian | 65.9 | 10.1 | 17.4 | 6.5 |
| Native-born American | 38.4 | 15.2 | 30.8 | 15.6 |
| Not native-born American | 49.8 | 8.2 | 28.9 | 13.1 1 |
| Male | 44.4 | 13.0 | 29.3 | 13.2 |
| Female | 36.7 | 14.9 | 31.8 | 16.6 |
| Urban | 50.5 | 13.2 | 25.8 | 10.5 |
| Rural | 30.2 | 15.1 | 32.1 | 22.6 |
| Suburban | 40.4 | 13.8 | 31.9 | 13.9 |
| Age 18–29 | 38.5 | 15.3 | 29.8 | 16.3 |
| Age 30–49 | 37.0 | 13.4 | 31.5 | 18.1 |
| Age 50–64 | 38.6 | 12.3 | 33.5 | 15.6 |
| Age 65+ | 48.9 | 15.9 | 25.7 | 9.5 |
| Average income group | 4.69 | 5.20 | 4.86 | 4.76 |
Odd Ratios by Family Structure and Demographics
| Cats Only | Dogs Only | Both Cats and Dogs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanatory Variables | Odds Ratio | Odds Ratio | Odds Ratio |
| Married or partnered, no children | 1.715 | 1.075 | 1.390 |
| Married or partnered, children 18+ | 1.056 | 1.215 | 1.102 |
| Single, no children | 0.956 | 0.537 | 0.452 |
| Single, children < 18 | 0.824 | 0.898 | 0.839 |
| Single, children 18+ | 1.080 | 0.750 | 0.695 |
| Urban (suburban ref) | 0.964 | 0.780 | 0.717 |
| Rural (suburban ref) | 1.259 | 1.241 | 1.747 |
| Homeowner (renter = ref) | 1.366 | 1.645 | 2.104 |
| Income categories | 0.976 | 1.022 | 0.979 |
| Income missing | 0.455 | 0.839 | 0.812 |
| College (less than BA ref) | 0.938 | 0.758 | 0.431 |
| US native (non-native ref) | 1.889 | 1.342 | 1.413 |
| Black non-Hispanic (White non-Hispanic ref) | 0.142 | 0.357 | 0.117 |
| Asian (White non-Hispanic ref) | 0.430 | 0.352 | 0.275 |
| Hispanic (White non-Hispanic ref) | 0.689 | 1.181 | 0.784 |
| Male | 0.658 | 0.724 | 0.609 |
| Age 18–29 (age 30–49 ref) | 0.912 | 0.736 | 0.809 |
| Age 50–64 (age 30–49 ref) | 1.440 | 1.219 | 1.738 |
| Age 65+ (age 30–49 ref) | 1.798 | 2.264 | 4.491 |
The reference category for the multinomial model is no cats or dogs. The reference category for the family statuses is married/partnered with children <18 in the household.
Research summary | Back to top
Health Care
Jump to: Owner Health Care Practices
Owner Health Care Practices
Jump to: Social Desirability Study (2018)
Social Desirability Study
External link:
Bir C, Olynk Widmar N, Croney C. Exploring Social Desirability Bias in Perceptions of Dog Adoption: All’s Well that Ends Well? Or Does the Method of Adoption Matter? Animals. 2018; 8(9):154. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8090154
Veterinarians and Preventive Health Care Use
| Statement Regarding Dog Ownership or Care | Number of Dog Owners n = 446 | % of Dog Owners |
|---|---|---|
| How often do/did you take your dog to the veterinarian | ||
| Never | 24 | 5% |
| Once a year | 210 | 47% |
| More than once a year | 192 | 43% |
| I don’t know | 20 | 4% |
| How often do/did you use heart worm prevention on your dog | ||
| Continuously | 244 | 55% |
| Sometimes | 121 | 27% |
| Never | 55 | 12% |
| I don’t know | 26 | 6% |
| How often do/did you use flea and tick prevention on your dog | ||
| Continuously | 261 | 59% |
| Sometimes | 134 | 30% |
| Never | 37 | 8% |
| I don’t know | 14 | 3% |