Prague, Aug 13 (CTK) – Czechs spend two billion crowns annually on care for their pets, including all services such veterinary care as well dog grooming parlours and dog hotels, according to the data of the Czech Statistical Office released in the Statistika&My magazine.
If the purchase prices of the animals, feed and other breeding needs are included, the sum amounts to 12.6 billion crowns annually.
The statisticians compare the two billion crowns annually to what Czech households spend on stationery or bicycles.
The 12.6 billion crowns are comparable with spending on traffic insurance or the costs of books, newspapers and stationery.
Households’ spending on pets has been growing. In 2009-15, the spending on veterinary and other services rose by one quarter.
The biggest amounts are spent on animal pets by households without children, including seniors. In childless households the spending is about 73 percent higher than in households with children.
According to the CSU, 28 percent of households had a dog and 19 percent a cat in 2015, which is among the highest in Europe.
The veterinaries’ chamber supposes that there will be a critical shortage of veterinaries in five to ten years.
The CSU has found out that there are two to five veterinaries per 10,000 inhabitants in individual regions of the country.
The veterinaries’ activities include besides health care the operation of ambulances and laboratory testing of animal samples.
