Pets: Survey Shows Many Consider Pets Family Members

Friends and family members often ask me:"So when are you and your husband going to have a baby?"

I smugly smile and think to myself, "I already have one. She's covered in gray fur, has two triangular ears and has the cutest little black-button nose."

Of course, I'm talking about my miniature schnauzer, Koko. To me, she is my baby. She's also a lot easier to care for than a human one. She doesn't need to have her diaper changed. She doesn't talk back to me. I don't have to drive her to soccer games or dance lessons, nor do I have to worry about her asking to borrow the car. In fact, my Koko has very few demands. For a little food, exercise, and affection she gives me unconditional love and devotion. What more could you ask for?

Some of you may be thinking that I am crazy, but happily, people like me are becoming much more prevalent. Dogs have always been called "man's best friend," but lately they have become even more popular. More and more people view their pets as children or members of the family. In a 2001 study by Albert and Bulcroft, urban American respondents were asked to rate on a scale of one to five the extent to which their pet is a member of the family. Eighty-seven percent rated their pet with either a four or a five. Over half of American families have a pet (only 34% have children), 5 billion dollars a year is spent on pet food (3 million on baby food), and over 3.5 billion dollars a year is spent on veterinarian bills. And this doesn't even include all the new dog services that are available, such as doggie day spas, where your pooch can get a massage and a manicure. According to a book by Caroline Knapp, seventy-nine percent of all pet-owners report that they give their pets gifts for birthdays and holidays and thirty-three percent say they talk to their dogs on the telephone. Even more telling are the facts that fifty-seven percent of pet owners would pick their dog if they were stranded on an island and could only take one person and forty-eight percent of women say they rely on their dogs more than their partners or family members for love and affection.

It's nice to know that I'm not alone in my "puppy love."

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