Dog owners win big in online 'pet preference' poll
Americans own far more cats than dogs, but dogs still seem to be America's most beloved pet.
New York
-- Americans own far more cats than dogs, but the barking of dog owners drowned out the competition in an online survey aimed at determining which is the most beloved of American pets.
Out of 9,000 votes cast, dogs won the informal "Pet Preference" poll 65 percent to 35 percent overall, chalking up the largest margins in Chicago, Seattle and Detroit (69 percent in each city), while cat lovers purred loudest in Baltimore (45 percent), Philadelphia (41 percent) and Houston (41 percent).Cat owners outnumber dog owners by nearly 13 million in the United States.
The eight-week survey, leading up to a "Meet the Breeds" event this weekend in New York, was sponsored by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).
Sponsored by PetPartners Inc., "Meet the Breeds" will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, showcasing to the public 160 AKC registered dog breeds and 41 CFA-registered cat breeds in booths decorated to depict each breed's country of origin, historical purpose/function and attributes as a family pet.
The purpose is to allow potential pet owners a chance to confer with breeders and interact with the animals to educate themselves about responsible pet ownership and choosing the right pet for one's lifestyle.
Tickets at pre-event prices and more information, including city-by-city results of the preference poll, are available online at www.meetthebreeds.com.
