PET BLESSINGS TO GO!

By: Chris Tumilty, Director of Communications

The tradition of blessing animals can be traced back 800 years to Saint Francis of Assisi. His pioneering act of blessing animals highlighted the intrinsic connection between humans and all of creation. Recognizing the divine in all living beings has only become more relevant today, especially when we consider recent data on pet ownership. Between 2018 and 2020, the landscape of pet ownership underwent a notable shift. Millennials, representing 32% of all U.S. pet owners in 2020, have shown a growing affinity, especially towards cats and birds, with ownership percentages rising from 30% to 34% for cats and a significant jump from 36% to 45% for birds within these two years. Despite these changes, dogs remained the top pet choice for this generation, with 80% of Millennial pet owners having canine companions. Gen Z, the age group immediately following Millennials, accounted for 14% of pet ownership, indicating the continued importance of pets for younger generations. Read More