As I write, Billy lies beside me, the picture of contentment. He should be content. He's in a dog bed that retails for about $35. I scratch his ear idly and he begs for more. We nuzzle for a moment, serotonin bouncing back and forth between us. The bond is strong. I don't "own" Billy. We belong to each other.
My mixed-breed mutt is the only living creature I brought with me when I moved here from the East seven years ago. (Cost of putting him in cargo: $50.)
Now, like his master, he is aging, occasionally crotchety and increasingly fussy about his diet. Ninety-nine-cent Alpo just won't do for him, don't you know. And after a $1,200-plus vet fee for his last bout of pancreatitis, I reluctantly concur. This 23-pound problem has a sensitive stomach, requiring a can a day of the high-class stuff. That's three dollars and change a serving. His treats - organic dried strips of duck - are "holistic," whatever that means. No wonder they cost nearly $10 a bag.
Perhaps I'm over-indulgent. If so, once again I represent a trend - because my cohort adores critters.
According to an April 2012 retirement study produced by the Bank of Montreal, 49 per cent of those of us nearing or in our age bracket share our living space with an animal. That compares with about 32 per cent of the general population. And like me, most boomers no longer feel they "own" their pets - any more than they "own" their children. The BMO research indicates that 89 per cent of those with pets consider them to be full-fledged members of the family.
There's no figure avail-able to tell us what our age bracket spends on pets, but Canadians in general spent $993 million on kibble and canned food alone in 2010. What's more, that figure is expected to cross the billion-dollar threshold by 2015, according to an Agriculture Canada report.
Add to that the cost of toys and accessories, grooming, veterinary care, kennels - and the cost of doting on Rover becomes a significant sector in the Canadian economy.
Certainly, there's evidence of a deep affection for dogs everywhere in Victoria. Take a stroll along the Dallas Road off-leash area and you'll see toy poodles in saucy tartan plaid sweaters ($55-$75), disabled pooches ambulating in specialty wheelchairs ($157-$339) and bowsers sporting collars full of bling (about $17).
Yet the industry is steeling for a downturn, say some experts. They suggest pet care in Canada will keep growing over the next few years, but that growth will be relatively slow. Then, when the boomers move on, there will be fewer people to care for all those Rovers and Rexes. What's more, there's no guarantee that Gen X, Y and the millenni-als will feel as warm and fuzzy about those with body fur.
"Challenges to the growth in pet ownership are likely to be mounting ... due to [an] aging Canadian population and shift in preferences among [the] younger generation," reports the market research company Euromonitor International.
Still, as Billy ages, I'll try to maintain his quality of life. I can relate to his aches and pains - and he deserves to be comfortable. Not surprisingly, "healthcare and dietary supplements will sustain growth," says Euromonitor.
What's more, estate planners are pushing us to provide for our felines and canines. The BMO report even devoted an entire section to the matter of naming our pets in our wills. BMO found in its survey that about one-third of us with four-legged companions already plan to make some kind of financial bequest to our pets. Maybe not the $30 million that Oprah Winfrey has promised her dogs, but you get the picture.
I love Billy. But that's where I draw the line on the part-of-the-family spectrum. If he outlives me, I'll name someone to take care of him - and leave whatever I have to my flesh and blood.
