Survey Shows 60% Pet Lovers Plan to Adopt

We always love reading poll results and this one really caught our eye because of the great interest in shows in pet adoption! The Hartz Pet Trend Report, released by The Hartz Mountain Corporation in anticipation of National Pet Week (May 1-7, 2011), showed that four times as many pet owners surveyed say they would opt to get their next pet from a rescue society than from a breeder or pet store (60 vs. 14 percent). And with “personality” topping the list of the most important pet characteristics, shelter animals can be the perfect companion for Americans looking to add a furry friend to their family.

“With eight to ten million cats and dogs entering shelters each year, there continues to be an increasing need for Americans to adopt shelter animals,” says Dr. Elizabette Cohen, DVM. “Although a majority of pet parents express a desire to rescue their next pet, they aren’t doing so at the same rate. If more people followed through on their wishes, we could make a real impact on the rescued animal population in this country.”

During National Pet Week, Hartz wants to help raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter animals and encourage new pet parents to do just that. And the Hartz Pet Trend Report is lending insight into pet parents’ thinking. The report found:

• Pet owners favor rescue societies. More than half of pet owners (60 percent) surveyed say they’d prefer to get their next pet from a rescue society. A majority of pet owners agree that pet stores are “out of favor,” with a mere four percent saying that’s where they prefer to go to find their next pet.

• Personality, not pedigree, matters most. Two-thirds of pet owners (65 percent) surveyed say “personality” is the most important characteristic of a pet. And almost all pet owners (98 percent) say they look beyond pedigree or physical appearance.

• A pet’s life is a life worth saving. What is the role of pets in American life? Nearly half of pet owners (47 percent) surveyed say their pet is like a child to them. And two out of five (42 percent) say they would compare their pet to a good friend.

The survey was conducted on behalf of The Hartz Mountain Corporation between April 15 and April 18, 2011 by Richard Day Research. Respondents included 1,028 cat and dog owners ages 18 and older selected from a national panel of pet owners maintained by Survey Sampling International. Quotas were set to ensure the sample reflects the demographics of U.S. dog and cat owners as reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Pet Products Association.