LOS ANGELES — We feed them, groom them, clothe them and otherwise shell out the big bucks to protect and pamper our pets.
The American Pet Products Association’s annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent $58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets, which range from freshwater fish and reptiles to cats and dogs.
The industry trade group released the survey Thursday at the Global Pet Expo, an annual trade show in Orlando, Fla. The data came from a variety of groups, market research studies and media reports.
Last year, people spent $22 billion on food; $15 billion on veterinary care; $14 billion on supplies such as beds, bowls and collars and over-the-counter medicine to fight ailments such as fleas and ticks; $4.8 billion on other services; and $2 billion on animals themselves.
