Pet Industry Trends

One of my favorite list of trends is the annual Pet Industry Trends from Laura Bennett and published on SmallBizTrends.

We own 3 dogs, so this topic is near to my heart.

My favorite trends relate to the activities of pet parents.  These are people who treat their pets as children.  Great quote from the trends list:

"Pet parents are including their pets in their own lifestyles so visits to the spa, exercise regimes, and restaurants have become more common in urban areas."

The number of pet parents continues to grow and as baby boomers age, we will see more of them.

My brother and sister-in-law are pet parents.  Their dog, Chico, goes with them everywhere including spas, the gym and restaurants.  Chico has organized "play dates" and they spend more time worrying about his emotional well-being than we do with our human kids. 

I'm not a pet parent, I'm a dog owner.  The big difference is my poor dogs will never visit a spa, or go to the gym with me.  I do take them to a local restaurant on occasion, but they are tied up outside.  Chico sits at the table. 

The article mentions proposed legislation - the Happy Act - that would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $3,500-a-year in pet care expenses, including vet care.

Given the state of human health care in this country and our growing deficit problem, this may be the dumbest way to spend tax money I've heard in a long time.  The article says it is unlikely to pass.  I hope this is true. 

Despite being just a dog owner, I enjoy reading about pet trends.

Comments

[Flea Treatment For Dogs Girl]

I think many people dont realize that getting a pet will be really expensive for them. Once they have a pet, naturally they start loving him/her and want the best for them. But taking a dog to spa, I find bizzare myself too... I think the best for them is just running around somewhere outdoor.

[RACHEL]

RACHEL VAGA WAS HERE 5-12-10

[Liz]

We have 3 cats, but as you are a "dog owner," not "pet parent," we are "cat owners," and girl parents! In fact, we have a vet appointment today; one of our cats is definitely sick and we're worried he ate something. If the vet says yes, he did, and he needs expensive surgery, well, we have 2 kids in college. We simply are not going to be able to spend a couple thousand on our cat, as much as we love him. It will kill me to have to put him down, but that's definitely in the cards. I'm just hoping and praying it's something else.