The polls have come in, folks. Babies are out and tiny puppies are in,ย and this influx of dogs and dogย parentsย in Americaย means that it has never been a better time to consider
adopting a dog.
How Did This Change Occur?
The overall birth rate in America has slipped 10% in the past six years. To make that stat more digestible, that means there were
400,000 fewerย babies born in 2013 than there were in 2007. Theย decline is seen in people aged 15-29, while the birthrate toย those who areย 30+ isย growing slightly.So while the number of babies being born toย people under 30 has dropped, the number of small dogs being brought home is at an all-time high,
doubling the number of small dogs purchased since 1999. For the first time ever,
small dogs are the number one kind of dog owned across the country.
But What Could it All Mean?
Perhaps it means that people are opting to fill that baby-void in their life with a tiny dog. More importantly, this change means that, right now, it is the best time to be a pet parent in history. Why is that? Here are a few reasons.
- More and more, people are buyingย products and supplies for their pets, increasing demand and resulting in a more competitively priced marketplace.
- With this influx of dog-owning households, chances are there is going to be a push for more dog-friendly resources (dog parks, groomers, vet clinics) as well as more dog-friendly establishments.
- Awareness about how to properly treat a dog is also going to become more common, as more people have pooches of their own and canย empathize with pets and their pet parents.
The Takeaway
So, the takeaway here is, as more and more dogs are adopted, industry and society need to keep up to be able to cater to the needs of this influx of dog families, making it even more attractive to be a pet parent.Simply put, things are only getting better for dogs and dog parents.
Want to make being a pet parent even better? Sign up for PetPlus today and stop worrying about the price of your pet's medication!
Source: Americans Are Having Dogs Instead of Babies -- Quartz