“Fayette County Animal Control takes a proactive approach to our community safety. Stray animals can be injured, cause car accidents, chase and or bite livestock or harm humans. Many times, the animal is simply lost, and the owner can be found. If the owner is not found, they will be placed up for adoption and or marketed to rescue groups.”- TRACY THOMPSON, Animal Control Director for Fayette County An amazing 77% of Americans own one or more pets, with 60% owning dogs and 45% cats (percentages for birds, fish, reptiles, etc. are much less). Pet owners and local/state legislators say that they care about cats and dogs…but many stick their heads in the sand when issues affecting them require their money or time. First, let’s look at how pet owners feel about their dogs and cats, using a recent Harris survey as our base (https://theharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-The-State-of-Pets-July-2026.pdf ). Surprisingly, over half of women (56%) have given up on finding a partner and instead have decided to rely on their pet for companionship. For seniors like me, it is odd that younger people (Gen Z / Millennials) appear to be more interested in having pets than children. They say that they are “not in the right part of my life” and that pets are easier and less costly to care for. Nearly a third prioritize their pets over financial stability. Gen Z / Millennials also spend more on their pets than seniors, although 44% are worried about affording their pet in the coming…
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