Most Pet Parents Feel the Pandemic Improved the Bond They Have with Their Pets, Report Finds
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Pets have made the ongoing pandemic easier to weather, and Mars Petcare has the numbers to prove it.
On Tuesday, Mars Petcare launched their "Keeping People and Pets Together"— a report based on research and the survey of over 1,000 pet owners — which draws insights from pet parents and shelter survey data to examine current trends in pet ownership.
The "Keeping People and Pets Together" report found that the pandemic was top of mind among pet owners, many of whom noted that it transformed the way they work, live, and interact with their pets.
For pet parents, the pandemic did have a small silver lining. Based on those surveyed for the report, 80% of pet owners felt they had spent more time with their pets during the pandemic, and 84% said that this extra time together increased their emotional bond with their pets.
After getting more bonding time with their furry friends in 2020 and 2021, 90% of pet owners say they want to spend as much time with their pets moving forward. To make this possible, 72% of the pet parents surveyed that are currently working from home said they want to bring their pets to the office when they return, while 65% of all owners surveyed said they plan to bring their pets on vacation when possible.
Mars PetCare used the information gleaned from this report to help inform their first-ever Pet Homelessness Index, which measures to scale of pet homelessness in the U.S.
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The Index looks at three main factors: All Pets Wanted (responsible breeding practices, disease prevention, spay/neuter, and the cultural attitude towards owning a pet), All Pets Cared For (rates of shelter adoption and pet ownership, shelter support, and access to veterinary care), All Pets Welcome (government policies and support for responsible pet ownership, and providing more access to pet ownership resources).
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Based on these factors and data from their "Keeping People and Pets Together" report, Mars Petcare found that the U.S. is trending in the right direction for bringing about an end to pet homelessness. The hurdles that stand in the way, based on Mars Petcare's research, are the public's perceived costs of dog ownership, modest awareness of fostering opportunities, and lower desire to adopt from shelters.
Mars Petcare plans to use the information from the Index to inform their efforts on ending pet homelessness so that next year, the Index shows that the U.S. is closer to finding an ideal home for every pet in the country.
To learn more about the "Keeping People and Pets Together" report and the Pet Homelessness Index, visit Mars PetCare's website.
