Author Topic: Dog owner statistics  (Read 2814 times)

Offline WhiteShepherdDog

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Dog owner statistics
« on: November 27, 2005, 03:15:47 pm »
Can't recall where I read this last week....but it stuck in my head.
Has anyone else seen this?
Only 38% of the people who have dogs will have that dog its entire life.
The majority of people will surrender the dog to shelter, sell/give it away or (horror) drop it in the country!

Yikes!
I knew it was bad....the rescues I work with hear the dogs have to be surrendered cuz they are moving; or "allergies".
The average household has more dogs than children now in the US, I read, too.

I think we got a big problem.
Regards,
Martha in Texas

Offline Anky

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2005, 03:27:33 pm »
Does that take into consideration dogs adopted from rescues?  I mean they don't have the dog it's whole life, even if they keep it till it dies.  Just wondering...
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Offline Scootergirl

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2005, 03:34:40 pm »
good point, Ang. Even being involved in rescue, I find that number appallingly (is that a word?) low. How very sad.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline WhiteShepherdDog

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2005, 03:53:21 pm »
Does that take into consideration dogs adopted from rescues?  I mean they don't have the dog it's whole life, even if they keep it till it dies.  Just wondering...
Right- I think that the statistic is pointing to why rescues get so many dogs.
The original owners aren't keeping them...whether they are 2 yrs or 8 yrs old.
I would have to find the original data (which is why I am asking if anyone else has seen this before).
I imagine it does apply to people who adopt rescue dogs too.
Even with the written adopton agreements, we are so overwhelmed to know for sure if the dog is given away or even taken to another shelter.
The point is- the majority of pet owners look at their dogs as disposable for any number reasons.
I was surprised at the high amount of people who disposed of their dogs.
Because I hang out mostly with people who workship their dogs---I thought that maybe it would be 30% of dog owners out there that were dropping dogs at shelters and rescues.
I didn't realize how bad (70%) the problem is.
Regards,
Martha in Texas

Offline Anky

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2005, 03:59:08 pm »

I imagine it does apply to people who adopt rescue dogs too.
Even with the written adopton agreements, we are so overwhelmed to know for sure if the dog is given away or even taken to another shelter.
The point is- the majority of pet owners look at their dogs as disposable for any number reasons.
I was surprised at the high amount of people who disposed of their dogs.
Because I hang out mostly with people who workship their dogs---I thought that maybe it would be 30% of dog owners out there that were dropping dogs at shelters and rescues.
I didn't realize how bad (70%) the problem is.

I don't know.  I've just never had faith in stuff like that.  I mean how do they know that?  Who did they ask?  I know they didn't ask me!  Was it a localized study?  Was it just asked of people in a certain income bracket?  Plus what if people didn't understand the question.  Example:  If someone ONLY got rescue dogs (Many dog owners do), and they were asked "Do you keep your dog it's entire life?" they might be confused.  I mean they'll keep it till it passes, but they got the dog at 3 years old, so they haven't had it it's entire life.  If they mark NO, it increases the number of people who dispose of their dogs, although that's the exact opposite of what this person is doing. 

I'm not trying to down what you found at all.  Just pointing out my thoughts on the subject.
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Offline WhiteShepherdDog

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2005, 04:20:42 pm »
I agree---I don't know the context.
I am trying to find more details, which is why I posted this statistic.
I read 2 books- I think it came from one of these books:
The Rosetta Bone : The Key to Communication between Canines and Humans (eBook) 
by Smith, Cheryl S
Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training. Vol. 1, Adaptation and Learning (eBook)
by Lindsay, Steve.
There is actually a book I found:
US pet ownership and Demographic sourcebook

I just can't find the study again.
Regards,
Martha in Texas

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2005, 05:07:54 pm »
I agree with Ang, and I'm guessing that is how they got their numbers.  The study was probably trying to point out how many people get rid of their dogs, but kind of did it in an underhanded way.

Alot of owners don't have their dogs since puppyhood.  If you had asked my grandparents under the same context, they would have had none of their dogs their whole lives, as they got none of them as puppies.

If I had to take a random guess, I'm thinking the actual numbers are probably closer to 70% of people will have had their pets until they die.  Notice I changed the wording.

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2005, 05:08:54 pm »
I agree with Ang, and I'm guessing that is how they got their numbers.  The study was probably trying to point out how many people get rid of their dogs, but kind of did it in an underhanded way.

Alot of owners don't have their dogs since puppyhood.  If you had asked my grandparents under the same context, they would have had none of their dogs their whole lives, as they got none of them as puppies.

If I had to take a random guess, I'm thinking the actual numbers are probably closer to 65-70% of people will have had their pets until they die.  Notice I changed the wording.

Offline 2dobies

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Re: Dog owner statistics
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2005, 06:21:52 pm »
In the small town that I live in, our shelter is so overwhelmed with 'drop-offs' that they can no longer take animals into the shelter until some have gotten homes to free up some space.  I dont know what the exact percentage is, but I do know that too many people think of their pets as disposeable.  But that comes as no surprise to me--for years my wife and I were foster parents to human kids, too, and it might make your head spin to see how many parents think their own kids are disposeable, too!
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