Living in Australia

Dogland

The photo below on the left, taken in a normal supermarket, does not show the cooling area for various sausages, such as cold cuts, etc., but is part of a large area for dog food. Australians love dogs.

Australia has the highest proportions of pet owners worldwide, reaches record high during Covid pandemic

Pet ownership in Australia was already among the highest in the world before the COVID-19 pandemic but experienced a new boom ever since. There are now (as of November 2022) an estimated 28.7 million pets living in Australian households, up from 20.5 million in 2019 (+40% !). And the proportion of households with at least one pet increased from 61% to 68.7% (+13%), according to Animal Medicines Australia.

Australia has about 13% more pets than people living in Australia. Some people now even starting to have camels as pets.

Dog ownership increased the most.

Over a million additional dogs now live in Australian households compared with 2019, which comes to about 6.375 million dogs. Almost fifty per cent of households owning at least one dog, which is almost a world record12. 37% of the dogs in Australia have been acquired since the onset of the pandemic.

That makes dogs the most common pet in Australia. There are about 22 dogs per 100 people. Affluent Australians spend more money each year on their pets than the nation does on foreign aid.

By comparison, in Germany there are about 34.3 million pets (+3% during COVID-19 pandemic), but 82 million inhabitants. After the 15.7 million cats, the 10.5 million dogs form the second largest pet-group. But in terms of population, there are almost twice as many dogs in Australia than in Germany.

And you can feel it everywhere. If you walk along the Pacific Ocean, you will see a lot of dog owners, who are walking their dogs of any kind and size (huskies / sled dogs – at 35° C). The long dog leashes of various dogs romping about can then get tangled with each other or even around the legs of uninvolved passers-by when the dog runs after another.

Photo pet funeral directors
Funeral directors for pets

Also, in a residential area, you can barely pass more than 3 houses without get barked at by a dog behind the fence (as there are few people actually walking in Australia, the dog is probably not used to seeing a stranger passing by).

Most communities now require dog owners to remove and dispose of dog waste in public places. Some localities also require that dog owners carry a suitable container (e.g. a poop bag or scoop) to remove dog waste when they walk their dog. Failure to comply may result in a fine of up to $500. And the Australians are also sticking to it. Despite the many dogs, one doesn’t have to fear of stepping into dog-poo, compared to e.g. Berlin …

Dogs are also in the focus of business. There are plenty of pet shops and other shops with more or less meaningful dog articles. It is worthwhile browsing inside. One will be surprised. And what occupies a small corner in a European supermarket fills a whole row of shelves in Australia. Even at Aldi, there are large areas in the cooling area with dog sausage. The first time I did not realize that it was animal food. It looked like a big size sausage for the gastronomy …

Australian households are estimated to have spent over $33 billion on pet services and products in 2022 with food representing 51% of all expenditure, followed by veterinary service at 14%. Dog owners spent the most, with an estimated average of $3218 spent per animal each year3.

The various business ideas around the dog are also amazing. For example, various car wash offer dog-wash parallel to cleaning the car. Both are done by hand. And in the meantime, you can pass the waiting time in the in-house café with a cup of cappuccino.

Photo: Mobile dogwash
Mobile dog-wash
Photo of a dog wash together with a car wash
Dog wash together with a car-wash

Also, the mobile dog-wash is very popular. The “dog washing bay” comes to the front door on a trailer of a car and has everything on board. And the dogs are often looking forward to it.

What a dog’s life in Australia ….

  1. World Population Review, Dog Ownership by Country ↩︎
  2. World Animal Foundation, Pet Ownership Statistics 2024 ↩︎
  3. Animal Medicines Australia, “A national survey of pets and people↩︎

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