Pet Valu releases survey in honour of National
Love Your Pet Day (February
20)
MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 10, 2022 /CNW/ - As Canadian pet owners
prepare to celebrate National Love Your Pet Day on February 20, indications are the celebration will
be even bigger this year. According to a recent national survey,
conducted by Narrative Research on behalf of Pet Valu, one third of
Canadian pet owners have welcomed a new pet into their home since
the start of the pandemic, representing an estimated three million
pets. The survey also revealed that more than a third (35%) of pet
owners welcome their pets to sleep in their beds. Perhaps one of
the most interesting findings was how much pet ownership and pet
choices differ across Canada.
"Every day our animal care experts help devoted pet lovers
support their pets through various life stages, celebrating special
days like National Love Your Pet Day alongside them," says
Tanbir Grover, Chief Marketing and
Digital Officer of Pet Valu. "We commissioned a national study to
understand the pandemic's effect on pet adoption so we can continue
to provide the products and expertise pet owners need. We were
intrigued by some of the results, particularly the regional
differences."
The comprehensive online survey of 2,000 Canadians, conducted in
November 2021, revealed:
- Pet owners living in Ontario
(37%) and BC/Northern Canada
(36%), were more likely to add a new pet to their home during the
pandemic than those living in Atlantic
Canada (19%).
- Although fewer Atlantic Canadians added pets to their home in
the past two years, people living in Atlantic Canada are more likely to already own
a pet (61%) compared to those in Ontario (53%), Quebec (53%), BC/Northern Canada (54%), and the Prairies
(58%).
- Atlantic Canadians and Ontarian pet owners are also most likely
to own multiple pets with six in ten in Atlantic Canada having two or more pets (58%),
compared with over half in Ontario
(53%), half in BC/Northern Canada
(48%), and four in ten in Quebec
(42%).
"Having heard so many anecdotal stories about pet adoption
during the pandemic, we were curious to validate if pet ownership
was in fact growing and were fascinated to see how such a large
proportion of Canadians opened their homes to pets. It's really
interesting to see how things vary across the country as well,"
says Margaret Chapman, COO &
Partner at Narrative Research.
Dogs and cats continue to be the most popular pet choice across
Canada; however, the regional
differences continue.
- In Quebec pet owners are more
likely to have cats (67%) compared to dogs (48%), while in the
prairies and BC/Northern Canada,
the reverse is true. In the prairies and BC/Northern Canada one-half (51%) of pet owners
have cats compared to two-thirds with dogs (66% and 65%
respectively). In Atlantic Canada
and Ontario, the split between dog
and cat owners is more even.
- Pet sleeping arrangements vary across Canada too. In Atlantic Canada pets are more likely to sleep
in bed with their family member (42%), compared to pet owners in BC
/Northern Canada (36%) and
Ontario (30%).
- Pet beds are a more popular sleeping spot in BC /Northern Canada (36%) and Ontario (33%) as compared to in Atlantic Canada (25%).
About the survey
The survey was conducted
online November 15-17, 2021, with 2,000 Canadians 18 years of
age or older from the Logit Group's Canadian Omnibus. Results were
analyzed by Narrative Research. Data was weighted based on the 2016
Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect these population
characteristics in each province.
About Pet Valu
Pet Valu is Canada's leading retailer of pet food and
pet-related supplies with over 600 corporate-owned or franchised
locations across the country. For more than 40 years, Pet Valu has
earned the trust and loyalty of pet parents by offering
knowledgeable customer service, a premium product offering and
engaging in-store services. Pet Valu's neighbourhood stores offer
more than 7,000 competitively priced products, including a broad
assortment of premium, super premium, holistic and award-winning
proprietary brands. To learn more, please
visit www.petvalu.ca.
SOURCE Pet Valu Canada Inc.