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The aforementioned rabbits, by the way, are considered by
a growing number of enthusiasts to be great house pets.
They’re affectionate, playful, generally interact well with
fellow household pets, and they can be housebroken.
Right up there as well are ferrets, those small, weasel-like
creatures which are said to be playful, mischievous, trainable,
and less likely to bite than the family dog. They’re
also incredibly popular, having scrambled into third place
of the most popular non-caged household animals.
It’s difficult to get a truly sharp picture of the changing nature of pet
ownership. Since only the most exotic of pets require licensing of some
sort, accurate figures are hard to come by. However, by counting the noses
of our canine population we at least know that household pets in general
are as popular as ever and maybe even more so these days.
Across Niagara region, 21,558 dog licences were issued in 2009, but
an exact regional census seems as futile as counting chickens before
they hatch. “It’s feasible that 50 per cent of dogs aren’t licensed,” says
Kevin Strooband, executive director of the Lincoln County Humane
Society. If he’s right and there are actually some 43,100 dogs living in
the region’s roughly 180,000 households, that works out to one canine
in every four homes.
Strooband estimates that in St. Catharines alone there are 44,000
felines. Now, add in all those other others and you’ve got a pet population
that could well rival the human one of roughly 410,000.
Whatever their number or species, it’s undeniable that these family
members have the ability to make our hearts swoon and credit cards
balloon. Locally, there are dozens of services and products that cater
to pampered pets. From daycare services to at-home ‘poop scooping’,
petite pet sitting, training schools, and even churches that offer pet
blessings, it’s obvious that how we care for our pets has reached a whole
new level.
Niagara’s tourism industry has taken the scent of new business as
more than a dozen hotels, local veterinarians and sitting services have
registered with Niagara Falls Tourism as official pet services for tourists.
Visiting and local pets even have their own luxury overnight pad, unlike
traditional boarding kennels. Four Paws Pet Resort in Fenwick offers
Scooby Doo, Blue’s Clues or 101 Dalmatian-themed rooms complete
with television, movies, toddler beds and fresh linen for overnight canine
guests. Kennel manager Chris Mattison explains that people don’t want
to leave their pets on a concrete floor with chain-link fencing. “It’s like
jail,” Mattison says. Overnight feline guests are offered a unique experience
in the region’s only indoor and outdoor play facility, fully enclosed
with tear-proof fencing.
Even retailers across Niagara sell items specifically for pets such as
car seats, designer clothing and bling, riding the wave of the booming
$4.5-billion Canadian pet accessory industry, which caters to the largest
segment of pet-owners in Ontario today: pet humanists.
According to an Ipsos-Reid pet ownership study, nearly half of all
Ontario pet owners humanize their pets—above the national average
of 31 per cent—regarding their needs, wants and desires as they would
other family members. These individuals drive demand for luxury pet
products and alternative services and demand the best healthcare for
their animals, as opposed to animal traditionalists.
Just how much do we love our pets?
According to the same study, 53 per cent of pet owners agree that
they would go into debt to provide for their pet’s well-being. In 2008,
the average cat and dog received $294 and $451 worth of veterinary
services respectively. Regular vet visits aside, some owners enlist the
assistance of pet healers and psychics who claim to communicate with
animals, thereby improving their emotional and physical well-being.
Many would classify their return on investment as simply unconditional
love and companionship. However, medical professionals agree
that pet ownership has significant health benefits such as reducing blood
pressure and cholesterol, easing depression and increasing physical
activity. In fact, a recent study following diabetic animals concluded
that caring for a sick pet can actually improve the health of its owner.
Many non-profit organizations have also acknowledged this connection.
Recognizing that pet ownership improves quality of life, Paws
Niagara helps residents with disabling or terminal illnesses keep
their pets. Additionally, Therapy Tails Niagara, a visiting dog therapy
program similar to St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog Service, provides
companionship, develops reading skills in children, and even aids in
the rehabilitation of individuals with chronic injury or disease.
Founder Tina Hill says one of her clients increased mobility in her
hand by 20 per cent after regular physiotherapy treatments combined
with three years of active play with Digby, Hill’s Old English sheepdog.
“We’ve also had success with Alzheimer patients,” Hill says. “The dogs
and patients really connect.”
Former prime minister Mackenzie King, is among Canada’s most
famous dog lovers, and is said to have sought solace by communing
with the spirits of his deceased Irish terriers, in addition to that of his
beloved mother. During the Second World War, he actually cancelled a
cabinet meeting to be with his dying terrier Pat, whom King—a bachelor—
described as “the truest friend I ever had.”
On television, canine heroes such as the The Littlest Hobo or Lassie
could always be counted on to either summon help or inventively
extricate the hapless victim of some mishap. Similarly, real-life pets
have demonstrated time and again their courage and ingenuity, even
managing to evolve technologically. For example, an Orlando, Florida
beagle named Belle is credited with saving her diabetic owner’s life by
calling 911 when the man suffered a seizure.
Granted, many of today’s pets are not as worldly or technologically
savvy. However, their impact on the lives of their human companions is
as individual as their personalities, realized only through the experience
of pet ownership. In fact, most would agree that welcoming a pet into
your family is simply the cat’s meow. NM
