Pet Ownership in Canada: Who Canada’s Most Devoted Owners Are and How Brands Can Reach Them

Introduction

Pet ownership in Canada has become one of the country's defining household stories. According to Vividata's SCC | Study of the Canadian Consumer Winter 2025, 52% of Canadians 18+ — 17.2 million people — live in a household with a pet. But behind that single number sits a wide spectrum of owners, from those who treat their pets like family to those who love their animals while feeling the cost and effort. 

For brands, marketers and agencies, that spectrum is where the opportunity lives. Pet owners aren't a monolith, and the way they shop, spend and seek out information varies sharply by mindset. Vividata's SCC reveals exactly who Canada's pet owners are, what drives their behaviour, and how to reach the segments that matter most to your category. 

Who Owns Pets in Canada?

Canada's pet owners are one of the largest and most emotionally invested consumer groups in the country. Ownership cuts across every age and income bracket, but the way Canadians relate to their pets — and what they're willing to spend — differs enough that a single, blanket approach rarely lands.

How Many Canadians Live With a Pet?

More than half. 52% of Canadians 18+ — 17.2 million people — live in a household with a pet. Ownership spans every age group, but it concentrates among Canadians aged 25 to 64 (71%, Index 110) and households with children (19% of pet owners, Index 110). This shows pet ownership in Canada is a mainstream, family-centred behaviour rather than a niche one, giving brands a broad and reachable base to build against.

Who Are Canada's Most Engaged Pet Owners? 

The most engaged owners are also among the youngest. Canadians aged 25 to 34 — Young Pet Owners — are more likely than any other group to consider their pet their best friend and to agree that they bring their pet everywhere they can. This suggests the deepest emotional connection to pets is being formed by younger Canadians, the same group with the longest customer lifetime ahead of them.

Devoted Companions vs. Hardworking Owners: Two Mindsets, Two Strategies

Within these Young Pet Owners sit two contrasting mindsets that shape how Canadians spend on their pets. 

Devoted Companions agree with the statement "I like my pet more than I like people." They spoil their pets (80%, Index 150) and consider themselves a pet parent, not an owner (76%, Index 147) — a mindset reflected in above-average shopping behaviour across nearly every pet category. For this group, spending is an act of affection. 

Hardworking Owners agree that "having a pet is a lot more hassle than it's worth." They skew male (62% vs. 45% of Devoted Companions), are more likely to hold professional or white-collar jobs (55% vs. 51%), and are less likely to be living as a couple (41% vs. 49%). These lifestyle factors make them more time-strapped and price-sensitive: 72% say caring for pets is too expensive (Index 156). Even so, they lean on convenience services — Daycare (11%, Index 123), Pet Hotels (11%, Index 121) and Training Centres (23%, Index 124) — and groom (7% monthly, Index 123) and visit the vet (19% weekly or multiple times a month, Index 137) more frequently than average. This shows they're motivated less by sentiment and more by practical need. 

Where Do Pet Owners Look for Information? 

Channel preference splits cleanly along mindset. Devoted Companions are 36% more likely to use social media than Hardworking Owners, while Hardworking Owners are 71% more likely to favour magazines. This suggests that reaching each group isn't just about the message — it's about the medium, with emotional, social-first content resonating with one and practical, print-based content with the other. 

The takeaway across both groups is a clear one: for Canada's youngest owners, spending on pets isn't about obligation — it's an expression of identity. 

Conclusion: Insights to Action

Pet ownership in Canada is broad, emotional and commercially active — but it isn't uniform. The same behaviour that makes pet owners so valuable, a deep and growing bond with their animals, expresses itself in very different ways depending on the owner. Knowing that a Canadian owns a pet isn't the same as knowing what drives them to spend. 

With Vividata's SCC, brands, marketers and agencies can move beyond generic targeting and reach the right owner with the right message. That starts with a few clear actions: 

• Segment by mindset, not just ownership: a Devoted Companion and a Hardworking Owner respond to very different appeals, even when both own the same pet. 
• Match the channel to the owner: lead with social and emotional content for Devoted Companions, and practical, print-friendly messaging for Hardworking Owners. 
• Sell affection or convenience, not both at once: frame premium and spoil-worthy products around emotion, and services like daycare, grooming and training around time saved. 

Ready to reach Canada's pet owners?