We Love Our Pets

Shopping Dogs

Less than a week ago,  I was walking through the mall and what I saw only half caught me by surprise; two white lap dogs in their very own stroller were shopping with their owners. As I thought more and more about pet society in America, countless examples of pet pampering popped into my mind. Dogs and cats on planes, shopping, in hotels--pets are nearly everywhere we go and their value is only increasing. 

Not more than two days later while I was driving past the familiar shops in my local town, an addition to the bunch caught my eye. "Love Fur Dogs", the newest addition to the area is has moved in less than a mile away from our other luxury pet store, "Noah's Ark". Some of the fancy pet products such as doggie froyo advertised at this store in particular were brought to my attention in Callie's blog post written earlier this year. The addition of this pet store is far from necessary but due to the choice of location, it is likely to be of use.

New Pet Shop in Town

According to Time Magazine writer Dan Hirchhorn, Americans spent "a record $55.7 billion on their pets last year" and are likely to spend even more in the coming year. One comparison that Hirchhorn gave was that Americans spent $10 billion more on their pets than Germany did on its defense budget last year. This figure goes to show the values of different countries and the money that America, not just the northshore, puts into their pets. 

Nearly every home I walk into there is a dog there to greet me, or a cat curled on a sofa somewhere. In my own home, my dog has his own chair with a blanket on it strictly for him. We perceive him as nearly human and is pampered to a great extent. It is peculiar to investigate the rise of pet spending in America especially when taking into consideration the growing economic inequality gap. The most probable explanation for the increase of pet spending is because pets are a sign of wealth. The pug, for example, was a breed that was for royalty because they are such lap dogs. The increase of spending comes from American's desire to be in the upperclass secret society by faking their way there. Why do you think pet spending has been on the rise in America? 



http://time.com/23451/pets-dogs-cats-spending-americans/