Evolving Landscape of Pet Ownership in 2024: Patterns, Perils & Promises

Jeff Mard
5 min readMar 27, 2024
Source: Author + Midjourney

The Pet Industry holds promise, but with promise comes perils. The Humanization of Pets has ushered in a need to think differently. Despite this, I remain cautiously optimistic about the industry’s promise.

Last week I attended the 20th Annual Global Pet Expo organized by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) & the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). As an advisor to two petcare startups, a judge for startup competitions, and a representative for numerous marketing agencies in the pet sector, this event served as a vital reminder of the significance of my annual journey to Orlando.

In recent years, people have been spending more on their pets, even before the pandemic hit. Pet owners now see themselves more as ‘parents’ and are willing to spend extra on things like food, healthcare, and supplies. The ‘humanization of pets,’ has become even stronger lately, especially among younger generations. They’re more aware of their pets’ health and are looking for personalized solutions.

It’s been well documented that Millennials and Gen Z dog owners are much more likely to notice pet health issues compared to Baby Boomers. For example, a higher percentage of younger dog owners reported issues like food allergies or their dog being overweight. To tackle these…

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Jeff Mard

Content creator & conference aficionado 💡 Captures keynotes, startups & exhibitors ✍🏼 Expert @ Networking 🤝 Building Meaningful Value 💰 Lifting Others Up ⬆️