NEW RESEARCH
Pet parenthood is one of the most powerful
whole-person wellness drivers in your workforce.
70% of your workforce are pet parents. Our 2026 survey reveals what the means for your healthcare claims, financial wellness strategy, caregiving strategy, and what forward-looking employers are doing about it.
Airvet surveyed 1,099 full time U.S. employees, here’s what we uncovered:
consider their pet a
full family member
have delayed retirement savings due to pet care costs
say their pet helps them cope with anxiety or depression
have used PTO
to care for a sick pet
consider their pet a
full family member
have delayed retirement savings due to pet care costs
say their pet helps them cope with anxiety or depression
have used PTO
to care for a sick pet
The whole-person impact of pets
Financial wellbeing
For 97% of pet parents surveyed, pets are family. And, like any family member, their care is a top priority. Nearly 6 out of 10 (58%) of pet parents will not delay or skip veterinary care, even if the cost is more than they can comfortably afford. Pet parents aren't choosing between their pet and their finances lightly. They're choosing their pet, and are often absorbing the financial repercussions alone.
Mental wellbeing
Pet parenthood is one of the most powerful and underutilized wellness tools in your benefits ecosystem. But the positive effects of pet parenthood, such as reduced stress, less loneliness, and improved physical health, are only fully realized when pet parents are supported.
Physical wellbeing
Pet parenthood has consistently been linked to measurable improvements in physical health outcomes. When asked if having a pet inspires survey respondents to take better care of their own health 83% said yes. The impact of those lifestyle changes has very tangible outcomes and can be seen in reduced healthcare claims for pet parents.
Comprehensive family benefit
Your benefits strategy was built to support your workforce and their families. But for 70% of your employees, there's a dependent missing from that equation. When pet parenthood goes unsupported, it doesn't just add stress, it stacks on top of an already stretched caregiving load.
What employers are saying
“Airvet has been incredible to work with since day one. The team's willingness to partner in employee comms campaigns, attention to detail, and genuine enthusiasm for the problem Airvet solves makes the team an absolute joy to work with.”
Daniel Tuan, Program Manager, Work & Life
“Airvet is everything it promised to be and more. The implementation was a breeze. The employees are already loving the benefit and we just launched it last week. Great team, great benefit, and great experience to provide to our employees.”
Brent Smith, Principal Benefits Program Manager
"At Synchrony, we’re committed to supporting our pet families. Airvet is among the most popular and fastest growing benefits we’ve ever launched. We’re thrilled with how quickly it’s become a workforce favorite."
Aaron Brown, SVP Total Rewards
Download the survey
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