Friday Funny: It’s A Dog’s Life (And Year)

Just in time for the Year of the Dog, a new survey shows 71 percent of millennial pet owners would take a pay cut if they could bring their pet to work.

It’s been a good week for dogs: A Bichon Frise named GCH Belle Creek’s All I Care About Is Love (Flynn, for short) won the “Best in Show” title at the 142nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show; and today kicks off the Asian Lunar New Year 2018, the Year of the Dog. The festivities don’t stop there: On February 20, Americans will celebrate National Love Your Pet Day.

dogs
The Westminster Kennel Club’s 2018 Best In Show was awarded to “GCHP CH Belle Creek’s All I Care About Is Love,” otherwise known as Flynn. (Photo: The Westminster Kennel Club)

In advance of that celebration, zulily surveyed millennial pet owners to find out just how much they love their furry friends. (Not just limited to dogs, the online retailer was open-minded and included cats, birds, and other pets in the survey.)

The survey found that millennial pet “parents” are more passionate than ever about their pets and are redefining what it means to be a pet owner. Not only do they see their pets as extensions of themselves, but they care for them as members of their family, showering them with gifts and often finding it hard to be apart for even short periods of time.

Even when they go to work.

“Pets truly make every day special for their owners, so it’s no surprise to us that millennial pet parents are showing love back with their dedication, attention and purchases,” said Kerry Gibson-Morris, Vice President of Merchandising at zulily. “For millennials, their dog or cat isn’t just a pet – it’s a starter child, and our research shows that in 2018 they want their pet to play an even bigger part of their life – whether its providing approval of their significant other, taking their pet to work or surprising their pet with gifts on a monthly basis.”

The survey found that 71 percent of millennial pet owners would take a pay cut if it meant they could bring their pet to work with them every day – and, 21 percent would sacrifice 20 percent or more of their pay to make every day “bring your pet to work day.” Not only that, 44 percent confess to having “fibbed” about their pet specifically to stay home from work.

Lucky Dogs (And Cats)

Here are some more survey findings:

  • 42 percent of coupled-up millennial pet owners admit that if given the choice, they would rather snuggle with their pet than their romantic partner.
  • 45 percent admit that if they started dating someone new, their pet’s approval would matter more than their family’s.
  • 39 percent of millennial parents admit that after being apart from each other for a while, their children are more excited to see their pet than their mom or dad.
  • 65 percent of millennial pet owners would be more stressed out being separated from their pet for a week than their cell phones (35 percent).
  • 84 percent say that they frequently worry about their pet when they’re apart for short stints, such as when running errands.
Image: Farmers’ Almanac