In South Korea, dog strollers are now outselling baby strollers. In Millennial-dense cities, it is common to see people pushing dogs in strollers around the park. The term DINKWAD has become popular on social media (dual income no kids with a dog).
The data confirm these anecdotes. The number of American households with dogs has increased from 31M in 1996 to 60M in 2024, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Pet Ownership survey. The biggest increase was during the pandemic when the number jumped from 48M in 2016 to 62M in 2020.
In terms of spending, households spend on average ~$1,800 per year, or $150 per month, on their dog. For context, the typical American household spends about $175-200 per month on gasoline.
We were curious about why this is happening, so we went to Minneapolis to interview people with dogs.
A few things we noticed from our conversations:
People were proud to talk about their dogs, a source of pride and joy.
Dogs are often a means by which people meet other people. Many people said they have made friends through their dogs.
People with dogs love that it forces them out of the house to exercise, especially amid remote work and the cold Minnesota winters.
A few people said they love that their dog is always happy and never has a bad day. When they come home from work, even if it was a bad day, the dog is excited to see them.
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