Pet ownership is at an all-time high of 72.9 million households

April 5, 2011

Things are definitely looking good for people who love pets — and the people who want to sell them stuff, too. From Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Last month in Orlando at Global Pet Expo, Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association, revealed the trade group’s annual snapshot of the pet care industry, as well as the executive summary of the association’s special two-year in-depth overview of who has pets, what kind, what they spend on them and why.

How many of us are there? Pet ownership is at an all-time high of 72.9 million households — up 2.1 percent since the last survey two years ago — and in those households, the number and variety of pets has also increased. Not surprising, that means the amount of money spent on these companion animals has barely hiccupped during the Great Recession, and is predicted to top $50 billion this year. For perspective, the amount of money spent on pets tops that spent on jewelry, candy and hardware, combined, and overall is the eighth-largest retail sector.

“I’m constantly amazed at the resilience of this industry,” said Vetere in releasing the APPA figures. “Not only did we weather the recession very well, but we’re poised to take advantage of the recovery.” (Read more…)

And “The Buzz” from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker is that people believe training, not breed, matters most when it comes to dangerous dogs:

A poll by The Associated Press and Petside.com supports the idea that dangerous dog legislation should target all problem dogs, not just breeds believed by some to be a problem. About three-quarters of respondents believed all dog breeds are safe if properly trained, and 60 percent said all breeds should be allowed in residential communities. Only 38 percent believed breed-specific bans were appropriate. As for pit bull terriers, the No. 1 dog target by breed-specific legislation, age plays a large part in how the dogs are viewed: 76 percent of those under 30 believe pit bulls are safe, while only 37 percent of seniors believed the same.

You can read all this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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PetSmart Settles $1 Million Dog Poop Slip Case

If employees at PetSmart (or better yet, the dog's owner) had been as vigilant about scooping up some errant poop as this dog is, there would have been no lawsuit.

Here are some magic words that may help you settle a $1 million lawsuit one day: “The dog feces in question was not open and obvious.”

Remember those words, and you could be set for life.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that PetSmart has settled a $1 million negligence lawsuit brought by Robert W. Holloway, the man who uttered those immortal words. He claimed that in January 2009 he was heading for the treats aisle in a Virginia PetSmart when he slipped on a hiding pile of dog poop, badly injuring his already not-perfect back. The suit also alleged that he struck his head and knocked out four teeth (never mind that they were false teeth).

That was some powerful poop!

I wrote a Dogster post about the case last year when he filed suit. I marveled at the formal talk about how PetSmart and its employees “negligently allowed animals to enter the premises and deposit feces in such a manner as to create a dangerous and hazardous condition.” Oh those wicked animals who deposit their feces and create all kinds of dangers and hazards!

I predicted that Holloway’s suit would go the same way a suit brought by a woman who slipped in dog urine in the same store did: Nowhere. I figured he’d end up with only a toothless smile and a dirty shoe to show for his efforts. I didn’t think that he’d end up with his wallet loaded.

Dogsters, what do you think of the suit, and the outcome?

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Million Dollar Dog

Million Dollar Baby - Hong Dong

Red Tibetan Mastiff Dog Sells for $1.5 Million

If you thought that the thousands of dollars some celebrities pay for purebred puppies is a lot, consider Hong Dong, (meaning “big splash” in Chinese”) the Red Tibetan Mastiff puppy who just sold for well over $1 million dollars in Shanghai.

Tibetan Mastiffs have become extremely popular recently with Chinese elite, as the the prestigious large breed is thought to be purely Chinese, rarely being found outside of Tibet. (and not yet owned by Paris Hilton)

Once owned by public figures including Genghis Khan, the Tibetan Mastiff can grow to be over 200 pounds and is known to be an excellent guard dog. The dog can actually be seen as a good investment, as stud fees for Tibetan Mastiffs can reach $15,000.

Hong Dong takes the “world’s most expensive dog” title form another Tibetan Mastiff, Yangtze River Number Two, who was sold in 2009 for over $600,000. After being purchased, Yangtze River Number Two returned to his new home in a motorcade of 30 black limousines.

more: World’s Most Expensive Dog

Tagged as: world's most expensive dog

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