FurEver Finds Reference
U.S. Pet Ownership and Care Statistics
Current numbers on pet ownership, spending, shelter intake, and adoption. Updated August 29, 2026.A clear look at life with pets in the United States
These statistics bring together the latest available national figures from the American Pet Products Association and Shelter Animals Count. Each number links to its original source, with the source year shown so it can be quoted in context.
Use the figures below for a quick view of how many homes share life with pets, how much Americans spend on their care, and what recent shelter data shows.
Ownership and spending
Pets remain a major part of American households.
95 million
U.S. households owned a pet
Pet ownership remained stable in 2025, according to the American Pet Products Association.
Source: American Pet Products Association, 202571 million
U.S. households owned a dog
That represented 53% of U.S. households in 2025, up from 51% in 2024.
Source: American Pet Products Association, 202553 million
U.S. households owned a cat
Cat ownership represented 39% of U.S. households in 2025.
Source: American Pet Products Association, 2025$158 billion
was spent in the U.S. pet industry
Total U.S. pet industry expenditures reached this amount in 2025.
Source: American Pet Products Association, 2025$165 billion
is projected for U.S. pet industry spending
The American Pet Products Association projected this total for 2026.
Source: American Pet Products Association, 2026 projectionShelter and adoption
Recent shelter data shows the scale of care and placement needs.
5.8 million
cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues
Shelter Animals Count reported this total across the United States in 2024.
Source: Shelter Animals Count, 20244.1 million
shelter and rescue animals were adopted
This was the reported adoption total for cats and dogs in 2024.
Source: Shelter Animals Count, 20242.9 million
dogs entered shelters and rescues
Dog intake accounted for half of reported cat and dog intake in 2024.
Source: Shelter Animals Count, 2024841,000
puppies entered shelters and rescues
Puppies under five months old made up 29% of dogs taken in during 2024.
Source: Shelter Animals Count, 2024Sources and method
How these numbers were selected
FurEver Finds selected national figures that name their data year and can be checked at the original publisher. Ownership and spending figures come from the American Pet Products Association's 2026 industry outlook. Shelter and adoption figures come from Shelter Animals Count's 2024 year-end analysis and its 2024 puppy intake analysis.
- American Pet Products Association, U.S. Pet Industry Reaches $158 Billion in 2025, published 2026
- Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Statistics and Year-End Report
- Shelter Animals Count, Puppy Intake on the Rise, published May 2025
The sources use different reporting periods. Each statistic above keeps its own data year so the figures are not presented as though they came from one survey.
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Suggested citation: FurEver Finds, “U.S. Pet Ownership and Care Statistics,” updated August 29, 2026. Link to this page or to an individual statistic above.
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