How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

We bizologie girls are dog lovers, so we're always fascinated with statistics on pet ownership. Previously, we talked about the American Pet Products Association and their survey results for spending on pet supplies, food, medical care, etc. and today we thought we'd showcase a couple of other resources we like for pet owner statistics. The most recent Census data on pet ownership is from 2006 and has a great breakdown of ownership by income and household size:

And if you'd like to estimate how many pet owners are in your neighborhood or city, the American Veterinary Medical Association has a cool calculator for figuring out dog, cat, bird and horse ownership in your area. Simply provide the community population and they'll give you an estimate. Be sure and check out their formulas for how they arrive at their figures.

So, how much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggley tale?  Well, according to the ASPCA , a medium sized dog could run you about $695 a year.  Assuming your best friend averages about 11 years, that's nearly $8000. We think Spot is worth every penny, but it's definitely a consideration when adopting a pet.