Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Public Loves Pets

The modern American family is no longer only comprised of parents, grandparents, cousins and siblings, but pets. In fact, nearly three-quarters of all families have pets and spend money on Buster and Tigger as if they were actual children. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American household spent $503 in 2011 on pets—which is more than it spent on alcohol or men and boy’s apparel.