The relationship Americans have with their pets is, to be honest, strange. Humans have used and lived with animals for thousands of years. Animals, especially the ones we now refer to as pets, were seen as tools for humans to use to help them perform a task better and provide food. Dogs, in particular, have been used for hunting, herding other animals, used as a form of transportation (sled dogs), and used for protection. Dogs lived in 'dog houses' outside year-round; some still do. But, for the most part, dogs are no longer seen as a 'tool' to complete a task.
This doesn't mean dogs and other animals that we let live in our homes no longer serve a purpose because due to the pandemic and lock-downs, we have seen the importance of pets to many people, not only in the US but around the world. The companionship that dogs, cats, and other animals bring to our lives has grown more important over the past 2 years, and that's very clear based on the number from the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), which show that 23 million households acquired a pet during the pandemic. The ASPCA has also surveyed these pandemic pet owners and found that more than 85% of them are not reconsidering their pet ownership status in the near future. Meaning most of those 23 million new pet owners will remain pet owners for years to come.
Before the pandemic, research suggested that seven out of ten households in the US had a 'pet' in some form or fashion. If those figures are true, more households in the US have pets than have children. Continue reading "This ETF Is A Great Buy Right Now"
