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Infographic: How Much Does It Cost to Live with a Dog?

By: Author Paris Permenter

cost-of-pet-ownership-infographic

We all know that’s it’s not inexpensive to live with a dog. We often talk about ways you can cut costs while still giving your dog a healthy and happy life. (In fact, we wrote an entire book on the subject: Barkonomics: Tips for Frugal Fidos!)

Today we have a guest infographic from Dog Breed Identifier showing the cost of pet ownership within the United States. The Cost of Pet Ownership Infographic was created with data from the APPA (American Pet Products Association), detailing pet owner spending habits over the span of several years.

Some interesting highlights from this infographic reveal that:

  • $58 billion will be spent on pets this year in the USA.
  • $22.62 billion will be spent on food alone in the USA for 2014.
  • Pet owners spend more on their pets each year, with owners today spending +70% more on their pets than they did 10 year ago.
  • Vet visits make up 50% of pet costs, followed by kennel boarding and food.
  • Dog owners spend more than cat owners in every area except kennel boarding, where cat owners spend $10 more than dog owners each year.
  • On average, dogs cost $1,650 a year, while cats cost $1,270 a year, making dogs 30% more expensive than cats.
Paris Permenter
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This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.