Abstract:

In a recent study carried out by WIN in 8 countries in Latin America + Canada, we found that 87% of people attribute importance to their relationships with other people. Not far behind, 80% declare that they consider their relationships with animals important. Globally, the pet industry moves a volume of 320 billion USD annually, and it is expected that by 2030 that amount will increase to 500 billion dollars per year (Bloomberg, 2023). The growth of this industry is based, fundamentally, on the growing trend towards the humanisation of pets (Vernon, 2023). This trend is related to important changes in the traditional family model and, in certain cases, a need to compensate for the growing unwanted loneliness that our societies suffer. This process opens the way to growth and diversification of the industry, also modifying other business areas. From the multiplication of pet-friendly places to the development of multiple products and services related to humanised pets (toys, birthday parties, transfers, cloning, wakes, cremation, etc.), the business does not stop growing. The pet, considered a child, comes to occupy a new leading place in the family, creating new needs and purchasing behaviours. In this paper, we describe and analyse the process of humanisation of pets, understood as the attribution of human characteristics, emotions and behaviours to animals, as well as the implications this has for the development of the industry.