SIC 0752 Animal Specialty Services, Except Veterinary

SIC 0752

This classification covers establishments primarily engaged in performing services for pets, equines, and other animal specialties. These establishments include kennels, animal shelters, stables, breeders of animals other than livestock, pet registries, and a host of other animal care services. Establishments primarily engaged in performing services other than veterinary for cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry are classified in SIC 0751: Livestock Services, Except Veterinary. Establishments primarily engaged in training racehorses are classified in SIC 7948: Racing, Including Track Operation.

NAICS CODE(S)

115210

Support Activities for Animal Production

612910

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Roughly 62 percent of all U.S. homes sheltered a pet of some sort in the early 2000s. Total pet industry expenditures neared the $20 billion mark. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish were the most popular types, with about 70 million cats and 60 million dogs existing in the United States. Though cats outnumbered dogs, dogs were found in more U.S. households than cats, according to a study conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Center for Information Management. And although the number of households with no pets increased, so did the number of households with more than one pet. Also, pet-related spending by dog owners increased by 38 percent between 1997 and 2002. Because of the nation's affinity for pets, a growing number of animal specialty services have emerged to provide a wide range of general breeding, grooming, care, and training services. The U.S. Market for Pet Care Products and Pet Supplies predicts that the pet care and pet supply industry alone will be worth $8 billion by 2007.

Though dogs and cats were the most popular of companion animals, bird ownership was on the rise in the early 2000s, accounting for 2 million veterinary visits in 2001. Other household pets that enjoyed increased popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s included rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, gerbils, snakes, lizards, and turtles.

Animal caretakers held about 151,000 jobs in 2002, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those outside the farm accounted for roughly 80 percent of this total and earned a median hourly wage of $8.21. Most of these workers were employed in...