Since politicians love their stats (and the manipulation thereof) and those stats reflect their constituents and their ability to vote - here's a few to show just how strong the pet vote can be:
PET OWNERSHIP
According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 millions homes.
Breakdown of pet ownership in the U.S. according to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey
Number of U.S. Households that Own a Pet (millions):
Bird - 6.4
Cat - 38.4
Dog - 44.8
Equine - 4.3
Freshwater Fish - 14.2
Saltwater Fish - .8
Reptile - 4.8
Small Animal - 6.0
Total Number of Pets Owned in the U.S. (millions):
Bird - 16
Cat - 88.3
Dog - 74.8
Equine - 13.8
Freshwater Fish - 142.0
Saltwater Fish - 9.6
Reptile - 13.4
Small Animal - 24.3
Actual Sales within the U.S. Market in 2008:
In 2008, $43.2 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S.
Breakdown:
Food - $16.8 billion
Supplies/OTC Medicine - $10.0 billion
Vet Care - $11.1 billion
Live animal purchases - $2.1 billion
Pet Services: grooming & boarding - $3.2 billion
Stats quote from http://americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
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