While doing research for a project, I came across some interesting pet facts:
• 70 percent of pet owners say they exercise their pet daily.
• 71 percent of dogs are walked as a form of exercise.
• 71 percent of cats play with toys as a form of exercise.
• 54 percent of pet owners report feeding their pet table scraps.
• 78 percent of pet owners say their pet is “average” in weight.
• 18 percent believe their pet is overweight.
• 50 percent of pet owners obtain dental care for their pet from a veterinarian.
• 10 percent brush their pet’s teeth at home.
• 59 percent of pet owners say they travel with their pet.
• 71 percent of pet owners say their pet is well-behaved most of the time. Only one percent say their pet is never well-behaved.
• 30 percent of pet owners obtain their pets from breeders; 25 percent from friends; 14 percent from animal shelters; and eight percent from pet stores.
The estimated number of animals processed by animal shelters throughout the country each year ranges from 11-27 million. Slightly more than half of these animals are brought in as strays.
Only 15 percent of the stray dogs left at shelters are reclaimed, and just two percent of cats are reclaimed.
(Source for this information is the American Animal Hospital.)
Did You Know?
In 1991, the SPCA of Texas took in 13,606 animals, an increase of 17 percent from the prior year. The SPCA switchboard receives an average of 350 calls each day.
SPCA Calendar
Sept. 26 – “Critters & Chrysanthemums Goes Country”, a benefit for the SPCA of Texas and the Dallas Arboretum, is scheduled at the DeGolyer House at the Arboretum from 8-12 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person and include “country/western” hors d’ oeuvres, beer, wine, soft drinks, music, and a silent auction. The event is sponsored by Texas Commerce Bank and Young Country radio (105.3). Dog and cat trams will transport guests to the party from the parking lot.
Oct. 17 – The Fur Ball, the SPCA’s first black-tie event, will be held Downtown at the Plaza of the Americas. Your $60 donation includes a gourmet vegetarian dinner, music by the Dixie Chicks and a silent auction. Author John Robbins (“Diet for a New America”, “May All Be Fed; Diet for a New World”) will speak at 1 p.m. that day. Reservations are $30; seating is limited. Call 369-3432 for information.
