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While we love our pets, there arestill millions of them that don’t have a home, end up in a shelter, or worst, killed or euthanized.Discoverpet statistics from America and around the world, ranging from things like pet population, pet ownership, pet shelters,most popular pets, and even pet adoption.
Top Pet Statistics In America & The World:
- There are more than900 million dogs and counting around the world
- Around600 million catsare living on the planet today.
- 68% of American householdsown at least one pet. Up 12% since 1988.
- About6.5 million pets enter animal sheltersnationwide every year in the U.S.
- America has around70 Million stray animalsliving in the country.
- There are about4 million cats and dogs adopted from shelterseach year in the U.S.
- About 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year, around 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats.
- On Average, to own a dog or cat willcost you between $500 and $600 annually.
- Just 2% of pet parentshave purchasedpet insurance in the U.S.
- Only 20% of pet ownerscan afford to pay a $5,000 vet bill.
Cat & Dog Population In The World
How Many Dogs & Cats Are In The World?
The current global dog population is estimated to bearound 900 million and rising, with the global cat population coming in at about600 million. Approximately 470 Million dogs are actually kept as pets, and around 370 million pet cats are in the world.
Key Statistics:
- There are more than900 million dogs around the worldand their numbers are growing.
- Around600 million catsare living on the planet.
- More than740 Million Dogs Live as unrestrainedor free-ranging
- Only17–24% of dogs live as petsin developed countries
- Over470 million dogs are kept as petsaround the world.
- There are about370 million pet catsliving on this planet.
- The world's most balanced pet population is in Romania,45% of their households own dogs and 45% owns cats.
- Thefastest growing dog populationin the world can be found in India.
- The highest number ofsmall dogs per capitagoes to Brazil
- Saudi Arabia is the winner in regards to big dogs with70% of their dog populationbelonging to larger breeds.
Cat & Dog Ownership By Country
The U.S. has thehighest dog & cat population per capita. For every four people, there is one dog! There are more dogs or cats in some families than children, making them an integral part of the household. Below is a list of thetop 10 cat and dog populations by country.
Top 10 Dog Populations By Country
COUNTRY | POPULATION |
|---|---|
USA | 69,929,000 |
China | 27,400,000 |
Russia | 12,520,000 |
Japan | 12,000,000 |
Philippines | 11,600,000 |
India | 10,200,000 |
Argentina | 9,200,000 |
United Kingdom | 9,000,000 |
France | 7,570,000 |
South Africa | 7,400,000 |
Top 10 Cat Populations By Country
COUNTRY | POPULATION |
|---|---|
USA | 74,059,000 |
China | 53,100,000 |
Russia | 17,800,000 |
Brazil | 12,466,000 |
France | 11,480,000 |
Germany | 8,200,000 |
United Kingdom | 8,000,000 |
Italy | 7,400,000 |
Ukraine | 7,350,000 |
Japan | 7,300,00 |
Pet Ownership Stats In America
How Many U.S. Households Own A Dog Or Cat?
68% of U.S. households or over85 Million families own at least one petaccording to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by APPA (the American Pet Products Association).
Key Statistics:
- 68% of U.S. householdsown at least one pet. Up 12% since 1988.
- American households own around42.7 Million pet cats.
- Dogs are owned at an average number of1.6% per household.
- Cats are owned at an average number of1.8% per household.
- There are more than77 million dogsin the U.S.
- More than59 million catslive in America.
How Many Pets Die From Food Poisoning In America?
According to the FDA more than70 pets that have diedand more than80 pets that are sickafter eating Sportmix pet food. This comes at the beginning of 2021, hopefully this number won't increase but we will keep it updated.
Key Statistics:
- In2021 alone, more than70 petshave died from being poisoned by eating pet food.
What Are The Most Popular Pets In America?
Dogs are the most popular pet in the U.S.with over 48 Million of them being owned in over 63 Million households.
How Many U.S. Households Own a Pet?
PET TYPE | NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED |
|---|---|
Dogs | 63 Million |
Cats | 42 Million |
Freshwater Fish | 12 Million |
Birds | 6 Million |
Small Animals | 5 Million |
Reptiles | 5 Million |
Saltwater Fish | 2 Million |
Horses | 2 Million |
Are Cats Or Dogs The Most Popular Pet In America? (By State)
In 2024Dogs still turn out to be much more popular than pet catswith 45 out of the 50 states owning more dogs than cats. And just recently, theHawaiian government updated their pet ownership percentage to that of 60%and the Municipality Of Anchorage, Alaska did a study that showed pet ownership to be25.5% of the States population.The states of Montana, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Indiana havethe highest dog ownership in the U.S.
STATE | TOTAL PET OWNERSHIP % | DOG OWNERSHIP % | CAT OWNERSHIP % |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 59.8% | 46.9% | 26.1% |
Alaska | 25.5% | N/A | N/A |
Arizona | 58.0% | 43% | 26.4% |
Arkansas | 69.0% | 51.6% | 34.8% |
California | 40.1% | 0% | 22.9% |
Colorado | 47.2% | 27.1% | 0% |
Connecticut | 49.9% | 24% | 26.7% |
DC | 21.9% | N/A | N/A |
Delaware | 57.9% | 42.2% | 24.1% |
Florida | 56.0% | 39.8% | 24.2% |
Georgia | 51.1% | 36.7% | 20.4% |
Hawaii | 60% | N/A | N/A |
Idaho | 69.9% | 33.3% | 34.4% |
Illinois | 48.6% | 32.4% | 21% |
Indiana | 69% | 49.4% | 37.5% |
Iowa | 59.4% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
Kansas | 62.8% | 43.1% | 32.4% |
Kentucky | 64.1% | 46.5% | 32.2% |
Louisiana | 54.4% | 38.3% | 19% |
Maine | 63.5% | 35.9% | 43.6% |
Maryland | 48.6% | 30.2% | 18.6% |
Massachusetts | 49.4% | 28.9% | 23.5% |
Michigan | 62.4% | 41.9% | 31.2% |
Minnesota | 54.0% | 35.5% | 26.5% |
Mississippi | 65.5% | 51% | 29.1% |
Missouri | 63.5% | 45.1% | 0% |
Montana | 61.9% | 51.9% | 22.8% |
Nebraska | 51.3% | 47.1% | 30.9% |
Nevada | 53.3% | 36.8% | 23.1% |
New Hampshire | 51.8% | 23.7% | 36.4% |
New Jersey | 47.4% | 29.1% | 18.9% |
New Mexico | 60.1% | 39.4% | 25.2% |
New York | 49.7% | 27% | 21.1% |
North Carolina | 58.6% | 41.3% | 26.5% |
North Dakota | 63.7% | 44.3% | 24.8% |
Ohio | 62.4% | 37.9% | 30.7% |
Oklahoma | 65.0% | 47.7% | 28.4% |
Oregon | 59.2% | 37.8% | 30% |
Pennsylvania | 60.6% | 38.9% | 28.9% |
Rhode Island | 45.4% | 25.8% | 16.7% |
South Carolina | 62.0% | 45.3% | 25.2% |
South Dakota | 46.4% | 32.1% | 26.6% |
Tennessee | 61.7% | 47% | 30.9% |
Texas | 58.2% | 43.4% | 20.5% |
Utah | 58.5% | 36.2% | 24.7% |
Vermont | 70.0% | 28.3% | 44.6% |
Virginia | 55.5% | 35.6% | 23.9% |
Washington | 62.7% | 42.8% | 30.5% |
West Virginia | 70.7% | 49.6% | 37.7% |
Wisconsin | 59.0% | 33.6% | 32.4% |
Wyoming | 71.8% | 36% | 30% |
Animal Shelter Statistics In America
How Many Cats & Dogs Are In Shelters In The U.S.
About6.5 Million cats and dogsenter U.S. shelters every year; about 3.3 million are dogs, and 3.2 million are cats. While this is a considerable number, it is adecline from 7.2 million petsthat entered shelters in 2011.
Key Statistics:
- About6.5 million pets enter animal sheltersnationwide every year in the U.S.
- Around3.3 million dogswill enter a shelter in the U.S. every year.
- Some3.2 million catswill find themselves in a shelter in America every year.
- The number of cats and dogs going into shelters in the U.S. hasdeclined from 7.2 millionover the last 9 years.
- Thelargest decrease in sheltered animalscame from dogs, from 3.9 million to 3.3 million since 2011.
- There are about3,500 animal sheltersin the U.S.
- It’s estimated that there are over10,000 rescue groupsand animal sanctuaries in the U.S. & Canada.
- 25% of all the dogsin an animal shelter are Purebred.
- Humane organizations are spending about$2.5 Billion per yearto help pets.
- About30 million peopleget a new pet every year.
Common Reasons Dogs Are Returned to the Shelter:
- They becomemore expensivethan the owner expected
- The pet owner is allergic to the animal orhas health issues
- Destructive behaviors likedestroying furniture
- Beingdisobedient
- Uncontrolledbarking
- Super hyper ortoo active
- Beingtoo aggressivewith kids, other pets or family members.
How Many Dogs & Cats Get Euthanized In Shelters Each Year
About1.5 million cats and dogs get euthanizedin a shelter every year. Around 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. This is a huge number, but it’s still down from 2.6 million pets being euthanized annually just 9 years ago.
Key Statistics:
- About1.5 million shelter animalsare euthanized each year, around 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats.
- The number of pets being euthanized in American animal shelters hasdeclined from 2.6 millionsince 2011.
- About20% of dogsentering a shelter are euthanized
- 81% of peoplewould prefer to have a “community cat” than to have it be euthanized.
- In 2019 there were733,000 pets euthanized.
- More CatsAre Put Down Than Dogs
- Owners leave some30% of their petsat a shelter.
- Americans are spending about$2 Billion a year on animal shelters.
How Many Pets Get Adopted From Shelters Each Year
Each Year close to4 million pets are adopted from animal shelters(2 million dogs and 2 million for cats). About 620,000 dogs and 90,000 cats that enter shelters as strays are returned to their pet parents.
Key Statistics:
- There are about4 million cats and dogs adoptedfrom shelters each year in the U.S.
- About 48% of the dogs entering an animal shelterwill be adopted.
- About50% of catsentering a shelter will be adopted.
- Around 23% of dogs that are adopted in Americacome from a shelter.
- 1 in 10 pets adoptedfrom an animal shelter won’t be in their adoptive homes after six months.
What Are The Most Popular Dog Breeds In Shelters?
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Labrador Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Dachshund
- Jack Russell
- Chihuahua
- Boxer
- Beagle
- American Bulldog
- American Staffordshire Terrier
Stray Dog & Cat Statistics In The U.S.
How Many Stray Cats & Dogs Are There In America?
There are more than70 million stray cats, dogs and animalsliving in the United States according to the Humane Society. Of those, only about 6 to 8 million of them will enter the3,500 animal sheltersa year.
Key Statistics:
- America has around70 Million stray animalsliving in the country.
- There are about5 homeless animalsfor every 1 homeless person in the U.S.
- As of 2018 there were about58 million stray catsin America.
- About27% of the catsowned by people were first strays, this is down from 35% in 2012.
- Only around6% of the dogsowned by people were first strays.
- Some strays are pets that have beenlost and not properly able to be identified.
How Many Stray Dogs & Cats Are There In The World?
There are about200 Million stray dogsin the world and about70 Million stray catsin the world according to the World Health Organization. Of course, this is a strong estimate because it’s hard to come by the exact numbers.
Key Statistics:
- More than200 Million stray dogsexist in the world.
- Over70 Million stray catsare in the world
Pet Insurance Statistics In America
What Percentage Of Pet Owners Have Pet Insurance?
Believe it or not, only2% of pet owners have pet insuranceon their pets in the United States. This means that only about 1.4 Million Dogs are covered and about 1.1 million cats are covered. We probably need to do much better than this toprotect our furbabies.
Key Statistics:
- Just2% of pet parentshave purchased pet insurance in the U.S.
- Only 20% of pet owners can afford to pay a$5,000 vet bill.
- About82% of dog ownersare interested in pet health insurance.
- Almost 10% of pet parents are shopping for pet insurance for adog with a pre-existing condition
- Almost88% of the dogswho had pre-existing conditions were adults
- Pet parents shopping for pet insurance who owned cats with pre-existing conditionswas only around 12.27%
- Around92% of the catsthat had pre-existing conditions were adults
- In 2019 the number ofpets insured was 2.2 million, down by around 1% from 2018.
- In 2018 the number of pets insured were 2.43 million,up by over 17% from 2017
- Dogs are themost covered with pet insurancewith over 88% of in-force written premiums on them.
- The first pet to be insured in the U.S. was thetv show dog Lassie.
- Compared to the U.S. about26% of dogs and catsin the U.K. are insured
- Sweden takes the leadwith over 90% of their cats and dogs being insured.
- Pet insurancepremiums in 2019were $1.6 billion
- The average policy cost was about$46.00 per monthin 2019.
Annual Cost Of Owning A Pet
How Much Does It Cost To Own A Dog Or Cat?
On average it’s going to initially cost you around$500 - $600 to adopt a cat or dog, get pet insurance, and handle any other initial medical costs. After that, you should look at around$500 - $600 per yearfor ongoing costs, which will vary based on the size of your pet and the brands they prefer.
Key Statistics:
- Average annual cost to own a cat or dog isbetween $500 to $600.00
One Time Pet Expenses
TYPE OF EXPENSE | COST |
|---|---|
Adoption cost: | Dog: $0 to $660 / Cat: $0 to $270 |
Food: | Dog: $30-$50 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Startup supplies | $50 to $300 |
Vet and vaccinations: | Dog: $50 to $300 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Preventative medical | $50-$100 |
Spay or neuter: | $20 to $300 |
Licensing: | Dog: $10 to $20 / Cat: $0 to $20 |
Microchip: | $50 |
Total One-time Costs for Dogs: | $260 to $1,780 |
Total One-time Costs for Cats: | $370 to $1,440 |
Annual Pet Expenses
TYPE OF EXPENSE | COST |
|---|---|
Food: | Dog: $250-$750 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Annual medical exams: | $50-$100 * |
Vaccinations: | $10 to $100 * |
Preventative medical: | $50-$100 * |
Litter: | Cat: $200-$250 |
Toys and Misc. supplies: | $20-$100 |
License: | $0 to $20 |
Pet Insurance | $26 - $46 |
Total Annual Cost for Dog: | $406 to $1,216 |
Total Annual Costs for Cats: | $456 to $916 |
Taking Action
Concluding Thoughts
While it’s hard to give an exact number of dogs or cats living in the world, our goal was to help you better understand the pet population in the world and America. With so many pets going into shelters and so many uninsured pets, we have a lot of work to do. However, I think we have what it takes to lower the number of pets going into shelters and increase the number of adopted pets and insured pets. The most shocking statistic that we found was that there are over 1.5 million animals euthanized each year. We would love to see that number go down soon.
Sources:
Wild Life Removal|Wikipedia|Modern Cat|World Population Review|American Pet Products|ASPCA|ASPCA Pet Insurance|AVMA|
Daily Dog Stuff|Do Something|Humane Society|Insurance Information Institute|Insider|Lone Tree Vet|Money Under 30|NPR|New York Times|One Green Planet|Pawlicy|Pet Coach|Pet Secure|Statista|The Guardian|The Spruce Pets|World Atlas|
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