The United States of Pets: Hispanic Pet Ownership Demographics

The United States is a nation of animal lovers, and the statistics on pet ownership and pet care spending in the U.S. prove that no matter who we are, Americans consider our dogs, cats, and other animals to be a part of the family. 

One segment of the American population is seeing an especially large increase in pet ownership numbers: Hispanics.

The website packagedfacts.com has recently released a study on pet owner demographics which shows that between 2007 and 2016, pet ownership in Hispanic American households has grown from 11.4 million to 20.4 million.

The study finds that pet ownership increases with acculturation, noting that the majority of Latino pet parents in the U.S. are English-dominant or bilingual, and many are U.S.-born. 

The growth rate will continue to be impressive, with the report estimating that between 2016 and 2021, Latinos will account for around half of the growth in U.S. pet ownership numbers.  What are some other interesting facts from the survey?

• 43% of Hispanic pet owners are under 35 years old.
• Hispanic pet owners prefer dogs over cats, and are more likely to own other types of pets like birds, fish, and reptiles. In fact, this group make up one third of all U.S. bird owners.

• Puerto Ricans are the most likely Latino demographic to own pets, although Mexican Americans make up the majority of pet owners.
• Hispanics, combined with other multicultural groups, account for 65% of the total growth in pet ownership numbers.

• Only ¼ of all Latino pet owners say that Spanish language packaging is important to them on pet products, reflecting the high level of acculturation of pet owners vs. non-pet owners.
• A majority of Hispanic pet owners have an annual income of $50,000 or more.

Your Animal Hearted purchase saves lives! 25% of all proceeds are donated to no kill animal shelters!

Up Next: 30 Amazing Animal Facts