American dog owners cutting costs on vet care, pet insurance and grooming

A recent OnePoll survey commissioned by Forbes of 1,000 dog owners in the US found that 76% reported experiencing “a lot” or a “significant amount” of increased financial stress over the past year.

Respondents reported cutting back on veterinary care (55%), pet insurance (51%), dog food in terms of either quality or price (50%), doggy day care and walking services (46%) and even grooming (34%).

A smaller percentage of dog owners also cut back on treats (25%), toys (22%) and spaying or neutering (16%). According to the survey, only 1 in 10 respondents did not cut back on anything in particular.

Basic needs

The OnePoll survey concluded that more than 6 out of 10 respondents had delayed or cut back on basic necessities like food, housing, clothing and personal healthcare, leisure experiences like travel or events and home renovations due to the cost of caring for their dogs.

A similar percentage (65%) had sought financial assistance from friends and family, while more than half (57%) had considered rehoming their dogs. 47% had gone into or experienced debt.

A little under half (48%) had to delay or cut back on education development expenses, and 33% had taken on second jobs or pursued new opportunities to earn extra income.

Around half of the respondents reported spending between $51 (€48) and $200 (€190) per month on pet care. Only 2 out of 10 reportedly spend between $251(€231) and $500 (€460) each month.

Dogs vs. children

Almost 4 out of 10 of those surveyed opted to delay or refrain from having children in favor of owning a dog.

The OnePoll survey unveils that dog owners in the Northeast of the country made up the highest percentage of those who chose to own dogs over having children (61%) compared to those in the West (37%), Midwest (26%), Southwest (26%) and Southeast (21%).

Most (81%) respondents attributed this to a dog being easier to care for than a child. 74% said it was due to affordability, while 54% found dog ownership easier and required less planning.

Younger dog owners prioritized their pets when making housing decisions, with 78% of respondents aged 18–26 admitting their dogs played a role in decisions involving where they live.

This age group also ranked highest when it came to taking into consideration their dogs’ well-being when it came to making career decisions (88%), romantic relationships (80%) and taking advantage of travel opportunities (75%).