94 million
U.S. households owned at least one pet
APPA reported that 94 million U.S. households had a pet in 2024, up from 82 million in 2023.
APPA, 2025 State of the Industry Report March 2025U.S. pet care reference
Pet ownership and shelter statistics.
Current, citable figures on pet ownership, spending, and animal sheltering in the United States.
Last updated September 30, 2026. Each figure links to its original source.
Pet ownership and spending
The scale of life with pets in the U.S.
These figures describe households and spending across the U.S. pet market.
68 million
U.S. households owned a dog
That was 51% of U.S. households in APPA’s 2024 pet ownership findings.
APPA, 2025 State of the Industry Report March 202549 million
U.S. households owned a cat
That was 37% of U.S. households in APPA’s 2024 pet ownership findings.
APPA, 2025 State of the Industry Report March 2025$152 billion
was spent on pets in the U.S.
APPA reported total U.S. pet-industry expenditures of $152 billion for 2024.
APPA, 2025 State of the Industry Report March 2025Animal sheltering
What 2024 data shows about dogs and cats in care.
National estimates below draw on data from more than 6,000 reporting organizations.
5.8 million
dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues
Shelter Animals Count estimated 2.9 million dogs and 2.9 million cats entered U.S. shelters and rescues in 2024.
Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Annual Analysis 2024 data, published February 20254.19 million
dogs and cats were adopted
Shelter Animals Count recorded 4,192,443 adoptions in 2024, including about 2 million dogs and 2 million cats.
Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Annual Analysis 2024 data, published February 202513,527
animal-sheltering organizations were counted
Shelter Animals Count reported 9,417 rescues and 4,110 shelters across America in 2024.
Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Annual Analysis 2024 data, published February 2025607,000
dogs and cats were euthanized
Shelter Animals Count estimated 334,000 dogs and 273,000 cats were euthanized in U.S. shelters and rescues in 2024.
Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Annual Analysis 2024 data, published February 2025Sources and methodology
How to use these numbers.
This page gathers selected full-year figures from the American Pet Products Association and Shelter Animals Count. Each statistic keeps the year of the underlying data and a direct link to the original report, because the date matters as much as the number.
- APPA, 2025 State of the Industry ReportMarch 2025
- Shelter Animals Count, 2024 Annual Analysis2024 data, published February 2025
Cite this page
Wild Fur Babys. “U.S. Pet Ownership & Shelter Statistics.” Updated September 30, 2026. https://wildfurbabys.online/pet-industry-statistics
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