Illinois ranks lowest in pet ownership. Really?
Illinois residents don't appear to be too fond of pets. Our state ranks among the lowest in the nation for pet-owning households.
A Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) reports that only 51.8 percent of Illinois households have pets.
It appears we're not dog fans either, ranking at the bottom with only 32.4 percent of households having a canine.
Felines aren't winning either; only 26.3 percent of us have cats (or rather, cats have consented to live in only 26.3 percent of our homes).
I have to admit, we were a little surprised in our news meeting since most of us are pet owners.
The District of Columbia ranks the lowest in all categories. Clearly, the Obama's Bo hasn't inspired the rest of D.C. to dive into pet ownership.
Top states for pet-ownership
Vermont: 70.8 percent
New Mexico with 67.6 percent
South Dakota with 65.6 percent
Oregon with 63.6 percent
Maine with 62.9 percent
Washington with 62.7 percent
Arkansas with 62.4 percent
West Virginia with 62.1 percent,
Idaho with 62 percent
Wyoming with 61.8 percent.
Lowest states for pet-ownership
Rhode Island: 53 percent
Minnesota with 53 percent
California with 52.9 percent
Maryland with 52.3 percent
Illinois with 51.8 percent
Nebraska with 51.3 percent
Utah with 51.2 percent
New Jersey with 50.7 percent
New York with 50.6 percent
Massachusetts: 50.4 percent
The District of Columbia: 21.9 percent
Top dog-ownership states
Arkansas: 47.9 percent
New Mexico: 46 percent
Kentucky: 45.9 percent
Missouri: 45.9 percent
West Virginia: 45.8 percent
Mississippi: 45.2 percent
Alabama: 44.1 percent
Tennessee: 44.1 percent
Texas: 44 percent
Oklahoma: 43.2 percent
Bottom dog-ownership states
Illinois: 32.4 percent
New Jersey: 32.4 percent
Minnesota: 31.9 percent
Maryland: 30.8 percent
New Hampshire: 30.3 percent
Utah: 29.4 percent
Rhode Island: 29.3 percent
New York: 29 percent
Connecticut: 28.3 percent
Massachusetts: 23.6 percent
The District of Columbia: 13.1 percent
Top states for cat-ownership
Vermont: 49.5 percent
Maine: 46.4 percent
Oregon: 40.2 percent
South Dakota: 39.1 percent
Washington: 39 percent
West Virginia: 38.1 percent
Kentucky: 36.8 percent
Idaho: 34.6 percent
Indiana: 34.4 percent
New Hampshire: 34.2 percent.
Bottom cat-ownership states
California: 28.3 percent
South Carolina: 27.8 percent
Rhode Island: 27.6 percent
Alabama: 27.4 percent
Florida: 27.3 percent
Georgia: 27.3 percent
Illinois: 26.3 percent
Louisiana: 25.9 percent
New Jersey: 25.3 percent
Utah: 24.6 percent
The District of Columbia: 11.6 percent.
The AMVA updates the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook every five years. For more information about the AVMA or to obtain a copy of the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, visit www.amva.org. The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 82,500 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine.