Why city folks treat dogs as their kids

Washington, Aug 16 (ANI): A researcher at Indiana University South Bend found that city people tend to treat animals as their children, especially if the animal is a dog.

“If you have kids, you have less time to spend with your pets. That’s part of it, but not the whole story. People who think of their pets as their children often re-evaluate this thought when they have human children of their own,” said David Blouin.

Blouin’s study found that 93 percent of dog owners and 77 percent of cat owners took their pets to the veterinarian at least one time a year.

Some admitted that they spent significant sums of money on their pet’s health, addressing routine care, such as vaccinations, as well more serious conditions such as skin allergies, Crohn’s disease and diabetes.

The frequency of interactions owners had with their pets, as well as how often they took them to the veterinarian, were closely tied to how owners viewed their pets-whether as a child, a companion, or just another, albeit, useful animal, said Blouin. (ANI)