Seattle, WA – May 23, 2022 – Rover.com (Nasdaq: ROVR), the world’s largest online marketplace for loving pet care, today released its summer safety guide, a resource guide designed to help both pandemic pet parents and seasoned owners navigate everything that comes with summer, including fireworks, barbeques, crowds, travel, separation anxiety, outdoor adventures and more. Each summer safety topic features expert insights from Rover’s Dog People Panelists and a downloadable graphic with tips for pet parents to keep in mind during 4th of July, backyard parties, road trips and on outdoor adventures.
“As the summer travel season ramps up, pet parents have plenty of things to navigate: from leaving a new puppy behind as you vacation to keeping anxious pets calm during Independence Day fireworks,” said Nicole Ellis, Rover Dog People Panelist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). “Rover’s summer safety guide is designed to be a resource for any pet lover that has questions or just wants to freshen up on the best protocols and practices for ensuring a fun-filled summer alongside their furry best friend.”
In addition to expert insights from the Dog People Panel, Rover surveyed 1,000 US-based dog owners to learn more about areas of concern and where pet parents are looking for additional support.
Fireworks:
- More than half (51%) of dog owners say their pet is scared of fireworks, while an additional 19% say they aren’t yet sure if the noise spooks or stresses their dog.
- Nearly half (46%) of dog owners avoid 4th of July celebrations because their dog is afraid. Almost a third (29%) go with their dog somewhere during 4th of July where they won’t hear as many fireworks.
- There is high demand from owners to know more tips and tricks to soothe their dog during fireworks – nearly half (45%) said they are actively looking for new tricks/tips.
BBQs & Food Safety:
- 18% of pet parents say they’ve unknowingly given their dog unsafe food from a cookout that made their pet sick.
- Preventing counter surfing is top-of-mind for dog owners – nearly a third say their dog frequently takes food off of countertops (30%) and 22% say their dog does so occasionally.
- A majority of owners have looked online in the past year to double check whether a food was dog-friendly (63%).
Separation Anxiety:
- 1 in 5 dog owners have never been away from their dog for more than a few hours (less than one full day).
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) of dog owners are concerned about their dog’s separation anxiety when they leave for vacation/traveling. More than 80% of dog owners (84%) have noticed their dog showing signs of separation anxiety
Summer Socialization:
- Nearly one-third (31%) said their dog isn’t comfortable in crowded and busy spaces, such as outdoor restaurants or breweries and an additional 25% said they aren’t sure yet if their dog will be comfortable.
Outdoor Adventures:
- Nearly half (46%) of dog owners take their dog swimming in the summer, however, more than a quarter (26%) said they aren’t sure if their dog knows how to swim.
- Algae blooms remain a concern for dog owners (29%) and 22% aren’t sure if their area is at risk for toxic blooms.
“Whether this is the first summer with your ‘pandemic pet’ or you have decades of experience, everyone needs reliable, well-researched and digestible training and safety tips for their pets – and Rover’s guide provides that,” said Ellis.
To access the complete summer safety guide and expert insights from Rover’s Dog People Panel, please visit here.
About Rover
Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Rover (NASDAQ: ROVR) is the world’s largest online marketplace for pet care. Rover connects pet parents with caring pet care providers who offer overnight services, including boarding and in-home pet sitting, as well as daytime services, including doggy daycare, dog walking, and drop-in visits. Millions of pet parents have booked a service on Rover, with more than 500,000 pet care providers across North America and Europe.
Contact:
Kayla Colin
pr@rover.com
360-510-6365