Americans are spending more on pets than ever before.
The American Pet Products Assocation projected Americans would spend almost 110 billion dollars on their pets in 2021.
That’s up nearly $20 billion since 2018.
The pandemic has been a driver. Stuck at home and isolated, Americans turned to pets for company.
More than 23 million Americans adopted a pet during the pandemic, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
But COVID alone doesn’t explain why animals — that once all lived their lives outside — now occupy space inside our homes — and maybe more importantly, our hearts.