Pet Nation: The Love Affair That Changed America

by Mark Cushing

An inside look at the forces behind how our pets become treasured members of the family.

In the last 20 years pets have gone from the backyard to sleeping on our beds, then showing up in every corner of America. Pet Nation tells the story of this seismic shift and the economic, media, legal, political, and social dramas springing from this cultural transformation.

Since 1998 the pet population in the U.S. has almost doubled -- about two-thirds of the country now owns a pet. No longer left to wander the neighborhood, dogs and cats eat special food, get individualized medical attention, and even fly in the cabin. As founder of the Animal Policy Group, Mark Cushing provides an inside look at the rise of Pet Nation, tracking the myriad ways pets are acquired (a "Canine Freedom Train" runs south to north), reporting on pet rights legislation (and the unseen problems that come with elevating their status), pet healthcare (revealing the truth and myths about large scale breeders), and discovering that despite what many organizations would have us believe, there is a shortage of dogs.

Insightful, surprising, and full of great stories, Pet Nation opens our eyes to the big changes happening in front of us right now. It shows us not only what our love of animals says about pets, it shows us what it says about ourselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs, Cats, Sociology

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 8, 2020

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating historical record of how our pets went from the back yard into our beds. It traces the social changes leading to our country now filled with service animals and granddogs.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever considered pet ownership a pro/con issue? Whether you have or not, author Mark L. Cushing who has advocated for pets for years and is a CEO of the Animal Policy Group writes a novel-length essay in favor of pet ownership for all Americans, one pet per person. Could it happen? Cushing shows how it could in his pro pet stance.
For those who would like to see the counter arguments, Chapter 9 offers a few.

[Nicole Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thoroughly engaging and insightful book was so fun and interesting to read. I found myself laughing out loud and saying, “I never knew that,” over and over! The balance of research and stories made this book even more enjoyable. As an avid pet lover, I appreciated learning about the history of pet ownership and how pets have done nothing but improved our lives and hopefully made us better humans for it. This book should be read by anyone that has a pet, wants a pet, or isn’t an animal lover (you most likely will be by the end of the book)!

[Mary Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dogs are it!

They make people healthier, more fun, and more social. A better world with pets—at home, outdoors, and in the workplace. A revolution in the number of pets is taking place, a trend fully documented and analyzed by Mark L. Cushing, CEO of the Animal Policy Group, in his eye-opening book, Pet Nation. Written before the pandemic, this message about pets now means more than ever.

Read the good news.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it interesting and loved the stories.
It's well written and well researched.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Michael Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I am seeking out. Informative, set up as easier reading.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very much interested in this topic, but found the writing style repetitive and inane at times. I'd finish reading a section and wonder what I learned. There were a few nuggets, though, and the best chapter was the one about the numbers of adoptable dogs decreasing as neutering/spaying campaigns have become more successful, especially in the North. Now there is a trade of dogs from the South, with more relaxed views on dog breeding to the North and with shelters in both locations profiting. I suspected as much and now I've seen it in print. He warned there would be a shortage of dogs, along with a shortage of vets to take care of them. But this book was a slog to get through and I kept waiting for another good chapter. That was it.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hardly ever review books I didn't finish, but this one really bothered me. The writing style is repetitive and really harps on about dogs "going from the backyard to the bedroom" (this phrase is used over and over) despite ample historical evidence that people loved their pets before the 1900s. People wrote sad odes to their deceased pet dogs in Ancient Rome! Many surviving letters and manuscripts have people talking about their love for their pets in their own words! When he started making tired cracks on "millenials who whine about student loans" I totally checked out. I guess I'm just a millenial whining about historical accuracy!

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The audiobook production wasn't well done. There is distracting noises and the narrator sounds monotone.

[Paula Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look into the world of pets.