Most pet owners would agree their pets are spoiled, but a new survey shows just how much so.
According to a non-scientific poll of dog-owning 2,000 Americans commissioned by the pet food company NOW FRESH, 87% of those polled consider their dogs a “valued member” of the family.
In fact, two in three pet owners admit making special meals just for their dogs.
What’s more, 70% of fur-baby parents say they’ve made “major changes” to their own lifestyle because of their four-legged friends: 39% say they exercise more because their dogs need it, and 26% say they chose the very place they live — a pet-friendly building — because of their pooch.
Sixty percent of those polled consider themselves “helicopter parents” to their pets — that is, parents who constantly hover over and over to protect their little ones. So it’s no surprise that 46% have copped to buying a sweater for their dog when it gets cold; 40% have bought a winter coat for their canine, and 37% have purchased a rain jacket for Fido.
For the record, three in four believe their dogs know they are spoiled.