National Pet Month spotlights the bond between dogs and their people

The cost of keeping a dog healthy

Keeping a dog healthy has become a real household expense, and the numbers make that plain. In 2025, the American Veterinary Medical Association said 42.6% of U.S. households owned dogs, equal to 56.3 million dog-owning households and an estimated 87.3 million dogs nationwide. The average dog-owning household spent $598 a year on veterinary care, a figure that captures how quickly routine care adds up.

That spending is happening in a culture that is shifting toward prevention. The American Pet Products Association’s 2025 Dog & Cat Report says pet ownership is increasingly centered on proactive wellness, with owners paying more attention to nutrition and other forms of care. National Pet Month, observed in May 2026, arrives right in the middle of that change, when many people are trying to sort out what is genuinely useful, what is expensive branding, and what actually helps a dog stay well.

What the human-animal bond really buys

The American Veterinary Medical Association defines the human-animal bond as a mutually beneficial relationship that supports the mental, physical, and social health of both people and animals. That framing matters because dog care is not only about sentiment or companionship, it is also about public health and daily function inside households and communities. Dogs can encourage routines, movement, and social connection, while people who keep dogs often build care habits around them.

Veterinarians play a central role in making that bond work well. The AVMA says they are key to maximizing the relationship, which means the most valuable preventive dollars are often the ones that keep a dog comfortable, functional, and monitored over time. When budgets are tight, the question is not whether to care, but how to spend in ways that are most likely to protect health instead of chasing wellness trends.

Where your money usually does the most good

If you are trying to keep costs under control without cutting corners, the smartest approach is to prioritize the basics first. Routine veterinary care, nutrition that your veterinarian can defend, and attention to changes in weight, energy, appetite, and stool are the building blocks of prevention. The AVMA’s $598 average annual veterinary spend is a reminder that the cost of care is already part of ordinary dog ownership, so the goal is not to eliminate spending but to make it count.

A practical budget can be built around evidence, not hype:

• Schedule regular veterinary visits so small problems are caught before they become expensive ones.
• Treat nutrition as a medical decision, not just a marketing choice.
• Watch body condition and activity level closely, because weight and mobility problems can snowball into larger bills.
• Ask your veterinarian which preventive steps matter most for your dog’s age, breed, size, and medical history.
• Be wary of wellness claims that promise a full transformation without showing clear clinical benefit.

That last point is especially important because the pet industry now sells not only food but also a promise of optimization. The strongest guidance still comes from a veterinarian who knows your dog and can tell you which products are worth the money and which are just polished packaging.

When food becomes a health story

The Farmer’s Dog built its origin story around a dog named Jada, who was constantly sick until a veterinarian recommended home-cooked meals. According to the company, that improvement pushed its founders, Brett Podolsky and Jonathan Regev, to build a business around fresh, human-grade food and a new way of thinking about pet nutrition. The company says it was started by two dog lovers who were fed up with highly processed food and wanted to reimagine pet food from the ground up.

That history helps explain why the brand’s message resonates with so many owners, especially as wellness spending grows. It is also a reminder that one dog’s experience can inspire a company, but a brand story is not the same thing as independent veterinary evidence for every dog. For owners, the useful takeaway is narrower and more practical: if a change in diet is being considered, the decision should be grounded in the dog’s individual health needs, not in emotion alone.

A National Pet Month campaign built around real relationships

To mark National Pet Month, CBS Mornings is partnering with The Farmer’s Dog on a campaign called “For Everyone’s Dog.” Jonathan Regev framed the company’s mission as a way to “return the favor” to dogs, a line that captures the emotional appeal of the campaign while also underscoring how central dogs are to family life. The partnership also includes The Oprah Podcast, with an episode focused on a military veteran and a service animal.

That kind of storytelling works because it taps into something many owners already know: dogs are not side characters in American life, they are part of the household economy and part of the emotional infrastructure of care. But the most useful part of any such campaign is not the branding. It is the prompt it gives owners to ask whether their money is going toward real health protection or toward a feel-good promise that sounds more complete than it is.

The practical takeaway for owners

The economics of dog care are unlikely to get simpler, and that makes discernment more important. With 56.3 million dog-owning households in the United States and an average veterinary spend of $598 a year, preventive care is already a mainstream cost, not a niche luxury. The most responsible path is to spend first on what keeps dogs healthy in measurable ways, then use marketing claims as prompts for questions, not answers.

National Pet Month is a good moment to remember that the bond between dogs and their people is strongest when care is both loving and disciplined. The dogs that thrive are usually the ones whose owners combine affection with evidence, and that is still the best value in pet care.