“Your pet’s so cute, where did you get him?” is a common question many pet owners hear when they’re out and about with their animals. If you’ve ever wondered how we acquire our dogs, cats, and other companion animals, you might be interested to see the results of a new pet ownership survey. Each year the American Pet Products Association (APPA) collects and publishes a huge amount of pet ownership data that sheds light on pet-related trends in the U.S.

The Humane Society of the United States has broken down the 2015-2016 APPA Survey data on where people acquire their pets from. Here’s a brief summary. As you’ll notice, it’s nice to see that animal shelters and rescue groups represent the largest share for both dogs and cats!

Dogs

• Adopted from a shelter or rescue: 37%
• Taken in as strays: 6%
• Acquired from friends or relatives: 20%
• Purchased from a pet store: 4%
• Purchased from a breeder: 34%

Cats

• Adopted from a shelter or rescue: 46%
• Taken in as strays: 27%
• Acquired from friends or relatives: 28%
• Purchased from a pet store: 2%
• Purchased from a breeder: 3%