Washington – October 19, 2026 -- Nearly three in four Americans (74%) now own at least one pet, and 98% of pet owners report at least one health benefit from it, according to a new benchmark survey from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI).

Another 15% of Americans plan to get a pet. Multi-pet homes are common: 64% of owners report more than one pet. The survey counted an average of three pets per household across all pet types, and 2.2 when only dogs and cats are counted.