1. Small Animals

2. Domestication of Animals
Dogs are believed to be the first animals domesticated.
The discovery of a dog’s jawbone found in a cave in Iraq dates back 12,000 years.
This is the earliest
indication of a domesticated
animal.

3. The Small Animal Industry
Pet ownership is at an all-time high -- 62% of all American families, about 71.4 million households, include at least one companion animal.
Cats outnumber dogs as the most common household pet.
There are more than 93.6 million cats in the U.S. compared with 77.5 million dogs.

4. The Small Animal Industry
Dogs are found in 45.6 million households and cats in 38.2 million.
Most cat owners have an average of 2 cats.

5. The Small Animal Industry
American households also contain:
15 million birds
4.9 million rabbits
15.9 million other small animals (like hamsters, gerbils, etc.),
13.6 million reptiles, and
182.9 million fish.

6. The Small Animal Industry
Altogether, an estimated 10,500 to 11,000 retail pet stores nationwide produce some $21 billion in sales.

7. The Small Animal Industry
Veterinary expenditures in 2010 were:
$ billion
Food expenditures in 2010 were:
$ billion
Supplies & Medicine:
in 2010 were:
$11.01 billion

8. The Small Animal Industry
These figures represent increases in veterinary expenses of:
42.2% for dogs,
96.8% for cats, and
141.9% for birds since 1991.

9. The Small Animal Industry
1,267,828 animals used in laboratory experiments.
Of this total, there were
75,429 dogs,
26,091 cats,
56,381 primates,
272,797 guinea pigs,
217,079 hamsters, and
309,322 rabbits.

10. The Small Animal Industry
Since the use of birds, laboratory rats, and laboratory mice are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act, no accurate figure is available.
There are 1,243 research facilities.

11. The Small Animal Industry
Animal care is a very large and rapidly growing industry.
Many people are needed to fill the careers in this industry.

12. The Small Animal Industry Needs…
Pet care workers
Zoo administrators
Laboratory animal care workers

13. The Small Animal Industry Needs…
Small animal breeders
Animal trainers
Animal groomers

14. The Small Animal Industry Needs…
Veterinarians
Veterinary Technicians
Biologists