How Much Does the Average American Spend on their Dog?

"According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), total pet industry expenditures reached $60.59 billion in 2015." On top of this they spend about $23.04 billion on food, $14.39 billion on OTC medicine/ supplies, $5.73 billion on vet services, and $5.24 billion on grooming and boarding.

Having different sizes of dog can also change your spending as well. "According to the ASPCA, a small dog will cost you $1,314 in the first year, a medium dog $1,580..." and a large dog will cost $1,843 in the first year.

"According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "On average, each U.S. household spent just over $500 on pets. This amounts to about 1% of total spending per year for the average household.""  Dog owners spend about $235 per veterinary visit on average, according to the APPA.

What does this say about Americans?

Well, from the perspective of an American I would say that it seems ridiculous, but it shows how much we care about and love our pets. While this spending is certainly good for the dogs, it is startling to know that that much money is spent on our pets when it could go towards the homeless or children in need. These statistics alone say a lot about where Americans values lie. We clearly value our dogs highly, but why not each other? We have millions of homeless people in our country alone, let alone the millions around the world who we could put that money towards. With that money alone, we could better the lives of millions, but instead we spend it on the family dog.  While I am not claiming that our pets aren't worth the money, I am simply pointing out something about American spending that could stand some change or readjustment 

This spending really says a lot about our nation. Maybe it's time for some reconsideration or reflection.

Information provided by: https://www.learnvest.com/2016/02/americas-pets-by-the-numbers-how-much-we-spend-on-our-animal-friends/