Pet Ownership Statistics 2026

In 2025, U.S. pet ownership remained stable, with 95 million U.S. households owning at least one pet.

Ownership expanded from 51% of U.S. households in 2024 to 53% in 2025 (71 million U.S. households), translating to about 4 million additional dog-owning households year over year.

Cat ownership reached 53 million U.S. households in 2025, representing 39% of U.S. households and a 5% year-over-year increase.

The category continues to build on historic momentum following 23% growth in cat-owning households in 2024.

The 2025 Fish & Reptile Report details the scope of fish and reptile ownership in the U.S. and the emerging trends shaping these categories, with an estimated 10 million US households owning freshwater fish, followed by six million that own reptiles, and two million that own saltwater fish.

The survey also found that 74% of Americans now own at least one pet, and another 15% intend to get one.

Pet owners now have more pets than ever, with 64% reporting multi-pet households.

The survey measured an average of three pets per household across all pet types, and an average of 2.2 pets per household when just counting dogs and cats.

Pet industry expenditures reached $158 billion in 2025 (+3.7%) and are projected to reach $165 billion in 2026.

Pet industry expenditures reached $158 billion in 2025 (+3.7%) and are projected to reach $165 billion in 2026.

2026 is off to a strong start, with full-year growth projected near 4.4%, of which roughly 2% is driven by inflation.

While most owners continue to protect pet budgets (about half reported unchanged spending), value-seeking is rising, with 22% of pet owners spending less on their pets in 2025 (a 10% increase from 2024).

Veterinary care accounts for the largest share of dog-owner spending ( 29% of wallet share ), while food remains a protected essential ( 27% of wallet share ), suggesting owners are finding ways to optimize routine purchases as care-related expenses increase.

Cat owners spent an average of $337.53 on food in 2025, up 9% year over year, reinforcing the importance of nutrition within the ownership experience.

From the moment you bring them home, your dog's lifetime care can range from $19,840 for a small breed to $58,875 for a large breed.

According to a Rover survey* of 1,000 pet parents, 83% of parents have noticed pet related costs increasing over the past 12 months, with 34% reporting a significant change.

If these costs feel like a lot to take in, you're not alone — more than half (55%) of pet parents report that high or rising costs have impacted their ability to provide their preferred level of care.

Net sales of $3.33 billion increased 7.3 percent year over year or 5.7 percent excluding SmartPak and Modern Animal contributions

The report shows that 7.6 million pets were insured in North America at the end of 2025

the pet health insurance marketplace increased 8. 5% from the 7.03 million total pets insured in 2024

In 2026, 67% of dogs were reported to be insured, significantly higher than cats (48%) and rabbits (25%), and an increase from 61% in 2025.

Ten years on from this, in 2026, 88% of dog owners reported that their dogs were microchipped, significantly higher than in 2025 (82%).

In 2026, 83% of cats across the UK were reported to be microchipped, which is significantly higher than in 2024 and 2025 (78% for both years).

The same percentage (82%) reported that their dogs received regular booster vaccinations which has increased significantly from 79% in 2025.

12% of pet owners required financial assistance for veterinary care

Just 66% of cats and 77% of dogs have had a vaccination in the last 12 months

5.8 million dogs and cats entered U. S. shelters and rescues in 2025

4.2 million shelter animals were adopted into loving homes in 2025.

Approximately 597,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in 2025, decreasing by nearly 7% for dogs and 2% for cats compared to 2024.

Euthanasia rates have dropped from 10% in 2019 to 8% in 2025.

Most animals entering shelters in 2025 continued to come in as strays (59%), followed by pets surrendered by their owners (30%).

A total of 3.7 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues during the first six months of 2026. That represents an increase of 72,000 animals (2.0%) compared to the same period in 2025.

Shelters and rescues reported 1 million cat adoptions through mid-year, an increase of 20,000 adoptions (2.1%) compared to 2025 and 117,000 adoptions (13.2%) compared to 2016.

Adult dogs account for the majority of dogs remaining in care, representing 236,000 animals, or 66% of all dogs currently in shelters and rescues .

However, there has been a small, but significant, increase in the proportion of owners who acquired their dog from a UK rescue or rehoming centre for UK pets, from 11% in 2025 to 13% in 2026.

Similarly, the proportion of cat owners who acquired their cat from UK rescue or rehoming centre for UK pets increased significantly from 29% in 2025 to 32% in 2026.

The internet continues to play an important role in how people find a pet, with 61% of pet owners saying they found their pet online.

In 2026, it is estimated that 62% of households own one of the UK's 36.5 million pets.

Dogs: There are approximately 15.5 million dogs as pets in the UK, with 41% of households owning a dog.

Cats: There are approximately 13 million pet cats in the UK, with 31% of all households having a cat.

The estimated UK dog population has now fallen to 10.2 million dogs, after reaching a peak last year of 11.1M.

There has been a decrease in the number of UK adults who own a dog, from 30% in 2025 to 27% in 2026.

Our report (published in June 2026) confirms a healthy growth of pet ownership with 140 million European households (49%) owning one or more of Europe's 306 million pets.

Annual sales of pet food products now stands at 29.4 billion euros and the volume is around 8.6 million tonnes.

This equates to 73% of all households – and is significantly higher than in both 2022 (69%) and before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 (61%) and 2016 (62%), suggesting that pet ownership continues to rise .

As of March 2025, Australia's estimated pet population is 31.6 million , with the survey data suggesting 7.7 million households have a pet today.

Australians spent an estimated $21.3 billion to feed and look after our pets, with food representing a substantial 46% of this spend

Pet Population: In 2024, Canada was home to an estimated 7.2 million dogs and 8.2 million cats, making pets an integral part of more than half of Canadian households.

Among all Americans, 83% said public spaces should be pet friendly; 81% said they would be more likely to buy products and services from pet-friendly businesses; and 80% say there should be fewer restrictions on pets in rental housing.

Housing that prohibits or restricts pets is a significant structural barrier for potential pet owners, with almost one third (29%) worried about the challenge of finding pet-friendly housing.

Future pet owners point to the overall cost of pet ownership (37%) as a barrier to pet ownership.

91% of owners tell us that owning a pet improves their life, but despite being a nation of animal lovers, who love their pets and treat them as valued family members, the PAW Report continues to show that many owners misunderstand their pet's Welfare Needs

86% of pet owners said their pets have positively impacted their lives

The most common reason owners gave for getting a pet was companionship for themselves or a person in their household (42%).

The American Kennel Club has recognized 205 breeds since it was first founded in 1884, 202 of which will were counted in the 2025 registration statistics.