7 Pet Owner Statistics for Animal Care Business Marketing

7 Pet Owner Statistics for Animal Care Business Marketing

When it comes to marketing any small business, knowing your target audience is critical to spending your precious resources wisely and achieving a good ROI. Your animal care business is no different. You want to make sure you’re not barking up the wrong tree. So, we’ve put together a list of 7 pet care industry stats to help you understand your target audience and grow your animal care business.

1. 2% of American households have at least 1 pet. This means that, for example, if you use a direct mail campaign, you know that, on average, 62% of your mail pieces will be received by households in your target market. Similarly, community involvement can be a great way to touch potential customers. Statistically, 62% of the people you encounter at community events are likely to be pet owners. In addition to gaining visibility in your community, distribute promotional materials such as magnets or pens to help your business stay top of mind with potential customers.
2. High-income households account for about 60% of total consumer spend on pet products and services, meaning that more affluent neighborhoods are likely to be your best target for your direct mail campaigns.
3. Among households with a pet, the average number of dogs per household is 1.6, and the average number of cats is 2.1. A focal point of your pet care marketing should include services for multiple-pet households.
4. Households with a dog make an average of 2.6 visits to the vet per year; those with a cat make 1.6 visits. This means that developing relationships with local vets and distributing marketing materials through their offices can be a great way to reach a large number of potential customers in a very targeted way.
5. 90% of pet owners consider their “fur babies” to be a part of the family. This is a trend known as “humanization.” Your audience wants to know that your business will treat their pets as if they were your own. In both digital and print animal care marketing, use images depicting employees interacting with pets in a loving and playful way.
6. Over 50% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight. Market your dog-walking services as a way for pet owners to keep their pets healthy.
7. In 2017, it’s estimated that Americans will spend over $69 billion on their pets. Pet industry spend breaks down like this:

• Food: $29.69 billion
• Supplies/OTC medicine: $14.93 billion
• Vet care: $16.62 billion
• Live animal purchases: $2.01 billion
• Other services (e.g. grooming, boarding): $6.11 billion

The animal care industry is a very big pie, so to ensure your get your paws on a slice of it, it’s essential that pet owners feel confident when leaving their furry family members in your care. Images in both print and digital marketing can be a great way to help your target audience feel confident.

Distributing marketing materials—business cards, brochures, or pens, for example—at local vets’ offices is an effective way to reach a wide audience. Pet owners want their pets to be healthy, happy, and well cared-for, and the successful pet care business is the one that helps them achieve that.

Consider a direct mail campaign that targets pet owner households to promote your pet care business and offer new customer incentives, such as discount coupons.

Get Started Today:

• Capture images of you and your employees interacting with animals. Ensure that the images depict happy, playful pets, as well as employees. Use the images in both print and digital advertising
• Develop relationships with local veterinary practices. Place brochures and other promotional materials in waiting and exam rooms. Veterinary offices are a particularly good place to promote dog walking services
• Begin a direct mail campaign to targeted pet homes in your business area

Valpak offers 50 years of direct, local marketing for small businesses. Need help with your next marketing campaign? We’re right there in your neighborhood.