“Don't betray the four-legged friends who helped families get through the lockdown" so Michela Vittoria Brambilla in a recent interview with Corriere della Sera. He is President of the Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment operating throughout the country to promote the recognition of animal rights and the protection of the environment.
But how many pets are there in Italian families? How much do you spend to keep your dog or cat healthy, between power supply, veterinarian and various accessories?
Il Rapporto ASSALCO – ZOOMARK on the Food and Care of Companion Animals by ASSALCO, (National Association of Companies for the Food and Care of Pet Animals) annually photographs the Italian pet care market.
It is estimated about 7,3 millions of cats and 7 millions of dogs present in Italian homes. During the pandemic period their owners benefited from the fact that all distribution channels, including specialized shops, remained open.
In 2019, the market for food products for dogs and cats in Italy (canale Grocery, Traditional Petshop, Catene Petshop) has developed a turnover of 2.078 million euros for a total of 556.424 tons sold.
Curiosity: cat litter boxes, reported separately, in 2019 they are valid in GDO approximately 74 million euro, with a growth in value of +2%.
And if man's best friend (more and more family member) should get lost?
There are several tools on the market (collars, life-saving tags, etc..) that, thanks to NFC technology they release data useful for tracing the owner and which can be read by anyone who approaches their smartphone without having to download applications.
Alex Gaetani
Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment