When you see the word relationship, it likely conjures images of romance, friendship, or the bond between parent and child. In our profession, however, another kind of relationship sits at the very center of our work: the human-animal bond. This is the relationship that drew many of us into animal health in the first place. Over time, for many of us, that bond has evolved and matured alongside our own lives and careers.
More broadly, society’s perception of this bond has shifted as well. That redefinition is critically important to understand, because it is reshaping not only pet ownership, but also decision-making, expectations, and the future of the entire Animal Health industry.
The Evolving Story of Humans and Animals
The human-animal relationship hasn’t always been the emotional, family-centered bond we recognize today. You don’t have to look back thousands of years to see how dramatically it has changed. Most of us have witnessed this evolution within our own lifetimes.
Growing up in the 1990s in rural north Alabama, our family dogs and cats lived outdoors. We loved them deeply and made sure they had food and shelter. My woodworking-skilled father even built several doghouses by hand. But today, a cat named Whiskers shares my father’s recliner and sits in the same spot each morning to request his daily hair brushing.
This is no longer uncommon. According to the 2025 report from the American Pet Products Association (APPA), 94 million U.S. households now own at least one pet, a significant increase from the 82 million households reported in 2023. Cats and dogs remain the dominant companion animals, with a record-breaking increase in cat ownership alongside continued growth in dog ownership.
Even more revealing is how people view their animals. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 97% of pet owners consider their pets part of the family, and 51% say their pet is “as much a part of the family as a human member.” Not only are there more pets, they’ve moved off the porch, out of the yard, and into our beds, our routines, and our daily lives.
From ‘Pet Owner’ to ‘Pet Parent’—A Shift in Language and Impact
This cultural shift extends far beyond North America. A colleague recently shared that Woofstock, a large-scale pet event, took place in Dubai last month, just one example of how deeply animals, especially dogs, are integrating into our identities, schedules, and spending habits worldwide.
Alongside this change, a new term has taken hold: pet parent. This is more than a passing trend in vocabulary. It reflects an intensification of emotional attachment and a heightened sense of responsibility and affection. To many, their pet is not just an animal in their home, it is their child-like companion.
Still, this linguistic and emotional evolution is not without complications. Legally, pets remain property in many jurisdictions. While an individual may feel the emotional equivalent of a parent or guardian, the law doesn’t reflect that sentiment. This disconnect creates tension in areas such as custody disputes, inheritance, end-of-life decisions, and standards of care.
At the same time, changing the legal classification of pets could carry unintended consequences. If animals were treated the same as humans under the law, the cost of care, insurance requirements, and legal risks for Veterinary teams could increase significantly. These realities must be balanced carefully as the human-animal bond continues to deepen.
Why ‘Pet Parent’ Is Different from Being a Parent
At first glance, becoming a pet parent may feel similar to raising a human child. In fact, a Harris Poll published in October 2024 revealed that 43% of Americans now prefer pets over children, with many Gen Z and Millennial respondents citing pets as being easier and less expensive to care for. Even more striking, respondents expressed a startling level of willingness to sacrifice for their animals:
- 67% would give up alcohol for a year
- 48% would give up $10,000
- 63% would give up years of their own life to extend their pet’s lifespan
But the roles and expectations between raising a child and caring for a pet differ in fundamental ways.
When we raise children, part of parenting is preparing them to leave, to grow into independent adults who contribute to society and, ideally, choose to come back and visit. Parenting is built around an eventual release.
With pets, the dynamic is different. Adopting an animal is usually a commitment to care for them for the duration of their life. They remain forever dependent on us for food, shelter, medical care, safety, and emotional security. In many ways, they are “eternal babies.” This lifelong responsibility underscores both the depth of the human-animal bond and the profound sense of duty felt by today’s pet parents.
What This Means for Animal Health Professionals
For those of us in Veterinary medicine, animal care, pet nutrition, behavior, and the broader pet industry, this evolving relationship matters deeply. The rising number of pet parents who view their animals as family demands more from us not only clinically, but also emotionally, ethically, and communicatively.
This shift influences how we speak with clients, how we frame recommendations, and how we understand the weight of their decisions. Preventive care, nutrition planning, behavioral guidance, chronic disease management, palliative care, and end-of-life decisions all carry substantial emotional weight.
At the same time, these highly personal decisions are often made without the systemic financial support and structure that exist in human healthcare. Pet parents are navigating complex choices with limited guidance, misinformation online, emotional stress, and real budget constraints.
As the human-animal bond strengthens, the Animal Health industry must pause and evaluate: Are we truly serving the evolving needs of today’s caregivers? Are we positioned as partners or merely providers of services? And how do we honor this bond while maintaining sustainability, scalability, and well-being for those within the profession? Are we open to re-evaluating our previous beliefs and practices?
Professionals who understand the human-animal bond and the psychology, emotion, and responsibility tied to it will be best positioned to lead the next evolution of pet healthcare.
Conclusion
In the context of our profession, relationships with animals encompass love, responsibility, trust, and lifelong commitment. The human-animal bond has evolved from utility to profound emotional connection. As pet ownership rises and the identity of the “pet parent” becomes mainstream, our roles as Animal Health professionals have never been more meaningful or more complex.
And perhaps most importantly, this depth of bond is a key driver in why pet parents make the decisions they do, including the decisions they make about nutrition, wellness, and longevity.
That is where the next chapter of this conversation begins.
(Author’s note: This article was inspired by conversations with Dr. David Haworth, whose wisdom and perspective on the evolving human–animal bond greatly influenced my thinking. The views, interpretations, and any errors in this article are entirely my own.)