Posted: Dec. 30, 2011, 5:15 p.m. EST
Nearly 95 percent of pet owners plan to help animals in need in 2012, and nearly 90 percent plan to exercise and groom their own pets more in the new year, according to Tampa, Fla.-based pet food maker Halo, Purely for Pets “Pets Parents’ New Year’s Resolution Survey,” which polled 1,045 pet owners between Dec. 21 and Dec. 23.
Of those pet owners, 94.1 percent reported planning to help “pets in need,” according to the survey, with 69.8 percent planning to donate to a rescue or a shelter; 65.6 percent planning to continue whatever they already did; 45.5 percent planning to play on Halo-sponsored FreeKibble.com and Freekibblekat.com websites to earn kibble for shelters; 11.5 percent reporting plans to adopt a new pet; and 11.5 percent planning to foster an animal.
Nearly 90 percent of pet owners (88.7 percent) reported planning to help their pets get more exercise in the coming year. Of those, 68.3 percent reported planning to play with their pets more;, 62.4 percent reported planning to walk with their pets more;, 30.3 percent reported planning to find a new game to play; and 20.2 percent planned to go to the dog park more often, according to the survey. Also, 2.9 percent reported planning to take a Doga class, and 1.9 percent reported planning to “get into extreme sports.”
Nearly 90 percent of the surveyed pet owners (86.8 percent) reported planning to groom their pets more regularly. Of those, 80.3 percent reported plans to brush their pets more regularly;, 68.1 percent planned to trim their pets’ nails more regularly;, 52.7 percent planned to bathe their pets more regularly;, 50.1 percent planned to brush their pets’ teeth more often;, 35.5 percent planned to start giving their pets coat and skin supplements;, and 33.2 percent planned to start using “natural grooming products,” according to the survey.
Other survey findings included 69.4 percent of pet owners planning to feed their pets higher quality food;, 48.1 percent planning on teaching their pets new tricks in the coming year;, and 45.9 percent planning to help their pets lose weight, according to the survey.
Of those planning to help their pets lose weight, 68.7 percent reported they planned to do so by getting their pet more exercise;, 44.8 percent said they planned to feed a higher-quality pet food;, 35.1 percent planned to feed less food;, 34 percent planned to give fewer treats;, 33 percent planned to give more nutritious treats;, and 10.9 percent planned to develop a weight loss program with their veterinarian.
More than one-third (35.5 percent) of the surveyed pet owners owned both cats and dogs, 38.4 percent owned only dogs, and 26.1 percent owned only cats. <HOME>
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