By Kim Hilsenbeck
People love their pets. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly three-quarters of U.S. households own them. For businesses that specialize in pet care and related services, it’s a lucrative endeavor.
Some pet people hold birthday parties for their critters, complete with a cake and presents. Others dress them up for Halloween and other times of the year. Then there are trips to the groomer to look fabulous, training classes for good behavior and doggie daycare so they won’t be alone. Don’t forget personalized collars, soft beds and gourmet treats.
And local Buda and Kyle residents are just like other Americans – they are willing to spend lots of money when it comes to these special members of the family.
By most estimates, including a recent study by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), a trade group based in Greenwich, Conn., U.S. consumers spend more than $55 billion a year on their pets.
That’s billion, with a B.
At about $34.3 billion, the APPA study revealed that food and vet care represented about two-thirds of total spending, with money spent on supplies and over-the-counter medications rising by more than seven percent. Spending on the growing market of alternative vet care, such as acupuncture, totaled about $12.5 billion.
Spending on services like grooming, boarding, hotels and pet sitting grew nearly 10 percent in 2012 to almost $4.4 billion, according to the study authors.
A May report from the U.S. Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey shows that while Americans reduced their disposable spending during the financial meltdown, pet spending held steady and is again on the rise.
That report shows that Americans spent more than $61 billion on their pets in 2011, the most recent year for which the department’s data is available. The average household spent just over $500 on their
Ashlee Claggett shows Doberman Pinschers in AKC dog shows. (Courtesy photo)
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pets in 2011, which is less than they spent on alcohol, men’s clothing and landline telephones.
The labor department data show that pet spending peaked in 2008, at $571 per household. By 2010, that spending plunged to $480. Yet pet spending as a share of total household expenses ticked up from 0.9 percent in 2007 to 1.1 percent in 2009.
Plum Creek Veterinary Hospital owner Dr. Joey Bryant said in her experience, unfortunately, the vast majority of what people spend on their pets is nonmedical. She thinks in part it’s because when people spend a little here and a little there on pet-related items, they don’t feel the pinch.
“But many pet owners aren’t prepared to spend money in a big lump sum,” she said.
Some pet owners, even when they treat the pet as part of the family, may not be ready to handle the suddenness of needed medical care.
That’s why Byrant believes “pet insurance is a fantastic idea.”
She appreciates that pet insurance is generally handled very fairly and paid out as reimbursement of expenses.
She likes a company called Trupanion because they pay out 90 percent reimbursement with little hassle. She said the industry is also currently free of government regulation. But she said consumers should shop around and find the plan best for them.
Byrant said pet insurance is not good for preventative care such as vaccinations and dental cleaning. Instead, she thinks it’s best for situations that are unexpected – accidents, traumatic injuries and even cancer treatments.
“But it doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions,” she added.
Despite its benefits, Bryant said only about one percent of her patients carry pet in-surance.But some local pet owners say they are spending money on vet services and medication.
Amy Sides of Kyle shared her story of how a Boston Terrier helped her through her life struggles. In return, Amy spent about $4,000 over the last seven years to save the dog. But Little Bit is more than just a pet to her.
“I have always been a huge dog lover, but Little Bit isn’t really a dog to me, she’s my best friend and family,” Amy wrote.
She went on to explain her story.
“Little Bit … was the last gift my mother was able to give me before she died from stomach cancer seven years ago,” Amy wrote. “Little Bit has been a huge blessing in my life, she has gotten me through some tough days and brings so much laughter and joy into my life.”
Between the dog having a luxating patella – a condition in which the kneecap dislocates – and then seizures, Amy has paid for surgery and expensive medication to keep Little Bit alive.
“The surgery cost a lot of money, but nothing was to (sic) much for my pup!” Amy wrote.
Ashlee Claggett has also spent a considerable sum on her dog passion – showing Doberman Pinschers in AKC dog shows.
“Dog shows can be expensive due to travel expenses and entries fees and everything else that goes along with it,” she wrote. “Grooming supplies, show leads, crates, grooming tables and everything else factors into the expense.”
Kyle council member Diane Hervol said she has spent a considerable amount of money, though wasn’t able to say exactly how much, on Pebbles, her Maltipoo, for everything from regular beauty treatments to medicine for epilepsy. Pebbles is Hervol’s only pet.
Most pet expenditure data shows that couples with no children spend the most on their pets, while single parent families spend the least. Couples with younger children also spend less than those with older children.
