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Surveys show that over half of all American households now have at least one cat or dog sharing the home.  Today the pet dog population is over 67 million, and the pet cat population is well over 83 million.

Source: Euromonitor International

Reasons for the Increase in Pet Ownership

There is mounting evidence that people need pets.  A leading proponent of this theory, Dr. Boris Levinson, Professor of Psychology at Yeshiva University and a clinical psychotherapist, stated in his book Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy:

In this very busy twentieth century, man is a lonely creature.  There are too many alienated individuals who lack human companionship.  They lack purpose and productivity.  A simple addition to these lonely lives can sometimes accomplish major changes.  The possession of a pet, who eagerly awaits one and responds to one's care and attention, may mean the difference between maintaining contact with reality or almost total withdrawal into fantasy.  Literally, a pet can occasionally represent the difference between life and death.

Other apparent reasons why people need pets are the increasingly urban nature of our society, the separation of children and adults from farm animals and from nature, the separation of families, where older persons and unmarried adults often live alone, and the desire for personal protection.

Recent work by researchers, much of which was encouraged by the Delta Society, with support from the Pet Food Institute, has confirmed the hypothesis that the presence of pets speeds recovery from illness reduces stress and promotes healthy family bonding.