Four-legged consumers
Four-legged consumers Katherine Marotta
New kids in the mall
“Sales for pets are exceeding the ones for kids and pet’s food money turnover is twice the one of coffee in US and the second most common food sold worldwide.” (Worldwatch Institute, “Consumerism Is Going to the Dogs”, 2009, E. Assadourian, Blog)
“Pet food alone is a $42 billion industry worldwide — on par with the $54 billion needed to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, number one on the list of Millennium Development Goals.” (Worldwatch Institute, “Consumerism Is Going to the Dogs”, 2009, E. Assadourian, Blog)
To feed the dogs of the 10 largest dog-owning nations requires a land mass the size of New Zealand. (Worldwatch Institute, “Consumerism Is Going to the Dogs�, 2009, E. Assadourian, Blog)
“Even the things we own are becoming consumers. Pets fulfil a multitude of different roles — from friend or surrogate child to extension of one’s personality or fashion accessory. But increasingly they are becoming serious consumers themselves. They consume significant resources, especially when pampered like people, which makes this both an ethical and ecological issue.” (Worldwatch Institute, “Consumerism Is Going to the Dogs”, 2009, E. Assadourian, Blog)
“A TotallyMoney.com’s survey of 1,000 people revealed that 51% of dog owners would consider paying more for their pet’s healthcare than their own.” (Pet Business World, “How much are Brits spending on pets?”, 2016, K. Pickwick, Blog)
First publication Cheltenham, United Kingdom, 2017 All photos taken 2017 Š Katherine Marotta 2017