Today, Americans are more involved with pet animals than ever. You are part of the history of pets in America, too. Why do you think Americans are pet-lovers? What issues will affect pet keeping in the future?

Changing lifestyles: American households are getting smaller. 26 per cent of us live alone, and less than one third of households have children. Over sixty per cent of American households have pets. As increasing numbers of Americans live alone, how will this demographic change affect pet keeping?

More money to spend on the extras: Americans spend a lot of money on leisure, hobbies, and activities that we feel enhance the quality of our lives. We spend an estimated $34 billion dollars each year through the pet industry, including services, goods, and the animals themselves. Other costs associated with pet keeping – from damaged furniture to allergy shots – have not been calculated! Still, pet keeping is a tiny part of Americans’ budgets for leisure. Here are some comparisons: In 2000, we spent an estimated $66 billion on golf and golf-related travel. In 2003, we spent $30 billion gambling with slot machines alone. In 2004, factory sales of home electronics such as televisions and DVD players totaled $113.5 billion.

Environmental concerns and pet keeping: Like all our activities, pet keeping has consequences for the environment. At the local level, dog poop has a negative impact on the quality of street life. This has resulted in the widespread use of “pooper scooper” laws. Sometimes pet keeping has more profound ecological consequences. The Humane Society of the United States reports that the common green iguana, a native of Central and South America, is threatened by a number of factors, including pesticide use and collection for international pet trade. In the far southern United States, the escape or release of Burmese pythons by Florida pet owners has resulted in a large population of the snakes, which can grow to 15 feet in length, in the Everglades National Park. The predators may be out-competing the native species in the park, even including the alligator. As pet keepers, what are our responsibilities to fragile ecosystems?