PD Insurance’s
2026 Pet Trends
Survey
The trends shaping pet ownership
Over 1,100 Kiwi pet parents weigh in
Twice a year, PD Insurance asks New Zealand’s pet owners for their thoughts on all things dog and cat. Together with our charity partner Healthy Pets New Zealand (HPNZ) we asked you about some of the biggest talking points for Kiwi pet parents.
With 1,162 responses gathered over two weeks in June 2026, we revealed your thoughts on pet bonds, bylaws, public interactions with dogs, tech, costs and more. We also gathered valuable insights on our data from HPNZ. Their experience working alongside veterinarians, welfare organisations, industry professionals and pet owners helps explain not just what Kiwi pet parents think, but why these issues matter and what they could mean for the future of pet ownership in New Zealand.
Pet bonds typically
more than $1,000
Pet bonds came into effect in NZ on 1 December 2025. Landlords can’t unreasonably refuse pets, but they may charge a small fee, usually up to two weeks’ rent, to cover potential damage. It’s separate from the standard tenancy bond. 17% of our survey respondents who rent said they pay a pet bond, and 50% say it’s over $1,000.
Restrictions on pet ownership include
number of pets, breed
35% of respondents who rent say they have conditions/restrictions on their pets. Most commonly cited was approval from the landlord or a limit on the number of pets allowed.
Under ‘something else’, respondents mentioned – among other things – that they had to pay to install a cat door, agree to pay for professional carpet cleaning when they move out or that cats must come indoors at night time.
“We live in an area with native bush and birds so it’s best the cat comes in to avoid hunting,” added one respondent.
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Small number of renters
say pets have caused minor damage
18.5% of respondents say their pets have caused damage in a rental property. However, most of that damage was relatively minor/ repairable rather than major destruction.
Pet parent spotlight
Rising costs
are affecting how pet parents spend
42.4% of respondents say they’ve felt the impact of rising living costs – showing that New Zealand’s cost of living continues to put pressure on household budgets.
Pet parents say
food, vet fees have increased the most
Food is by far the cost pet parents have seen the biggest increase in, followed by vet costs, grooming and daycare. 4.3% of pet parents ticked ‘something else’ , listing pet insurance, flea and worm treatments, medications, registration and transport to take their pets around as other expenses. Finally, 3.3% of respondents say toys and accessories now cost more.
Q: Rising pet care costs are forcing some owners to make significant sacrifices. What support is available for owners who are struggling financially but want to do the right thing by their pets?
HPNZ: It can be tempting to try and cut costs on ‘routine’ things, but keeping up with pet insurance and regular preventative care visits can save money in the long run (and help build a relationship with your vet so that problems are detected early, and your vet can work with you on what is achievable/practical within your constraints).
Many vet clinics offer payment plans too. A more novel idea is pet sharing across neighbours and families – sharing the joy and sharing the financial burden of a pet may work well in some situations.
Pet owners taking on extra work
or giving up pets due to rising costs
While most pet owners are finding ways to cut costs, some are making heartbreaking decisions. A small but significant number said they’ve had to give up a pet due to rising costs. Others have taken on extra work, delayed getting another pet or cut back on their own spending to continue caring for their animals.
More than half (56.7%) switched to cheaper food brands, while 23.3% reduced routine vet visits. Overall, the results suggest most owners are making sacrifices themselves rather than compromising on their pets’ wellbeing.
Pet parent spotlight
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Pet parents
starting to use wearables
A pet wearable is a smart device worn on your pet’s collar or body that tracks information such as their location, activity, sleep or health. It can help owners better understand their pet’s behaviour and spot potential changes early. Think smartwatch, but for pets.
Though most respondents were dubious about wearables, 10.7% said their pet currently uses or has previously used one. While adoption remains relatively low, wearables show owners are increasingly looking for ways to monitor their pet’s health, safety and wellbeing before problems arise.
Pet parents
not sure wearables are necessary
The biggest barrier to pet wearable adoption isn’t cost, it’s perceived value. Nearly half of respondents (46%) said they don’t think a wearable is necessary, while 31.6% simply don’t know enough about them. Only 10.3% cited cost as the main obstacle, suggesting utility may be more important than affordability in driving adoption.
Pet parent spotlight
Q: Our survey found that most pet owners haven’t adopted wearable technology, with many saying they either don’t see the need or don’t know enough about it. What role do you see wearables playing in preventative pet healthcare?
HPNZ: Wearables are helpful in knowing what is normal for your pet and helping you identify when their behaviour or health changes. They are nice to have, but not essential, and in some situations they can increase the owner’s anxiety if owner’s focus too much on small deviations (look at the pet, not just the numbers).
Most pet parents
have had dog interactions that felt unsafe
Our survey found that encounters with dogs that felt aggressive or unsafe are remarkably common in New Zealand. Nearly seven in 10 respondents (68.7%) said they, their pet, or someone they know had experienced one, while only 31.3% had never encountered an aggressive dog.
Lunging, snapping
most common behaviour
Most aggressive encounters involved dogs displaying threatening or escalating behaviour. Lunging was the most common behaviour reported (44.7%), followed by aggressive barking (38.2%) and confronting another pet (36.6%). Around one in three incidents involved snapping (35.4%), biting (35%) or growling (31.5%), highlighting that many encounters progressed beyond simple displays of aggression.
Respondents were able to select more than one answer.
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Street / foot path
most common site for interaction
Aggressive encounters are most likely to happen in shared public spaces, rather than on private property. Streets and footpaths accounted for the largest share of incidents (42.3%), followed by beaches and public reserves (26.3%) and dog parks (15.1%). Together, these locations make up more than 80% of reported encounters, suggesting that everyday walks — not just visits to off-lead areas — are where pet owners are most likely to face aggressive behaviour.
"Lack of supervision" listed as
biggest contributor of aggressive behaviour
Responsible pet ownership listed as
most important way to prevent aggression
Q: Respondents overwhelmingly said they’d like to see more investment in initiatives that support responsible pet ownership. From a pet welfare perspective, which types of initiatives have the greatest positive impact?
HPNZ: Many dog behaviour problems start early, during the socialisation period. Doggie daycare and similar in itiatives allow both socialisation and owner education and have a large positive impact. In addition to the need for outdoor spaces for dogs, healthy homes (warm, dry) are also important for cat and dog health – these initiatives are aimed at improving human health but have impacts on animal health too.”
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Pet parent spotlight
Q: If HPNZ could encourage every Kiwi pet owner to make one change that would have the biggest positive impact on their pet’s health and wellbeing, what would it be?
HPNZ: Interact with your pet and be present – put your phone down. Your pet doesn’t care how much money you spend on nice things for them, but your time and attention will have the biggest impact on their health and wellbeing.
Opinions divided on
dog registration fees
Pet parent spotlight
Q: In HPNZ’s view, what should registration fees ideally help fund?
HPNZ: Education should be funded, particularly in the areas of responsible dog ownership, welfare and understanding of dog behaviour, and needs to be combined with enforcement.
We also agree with respondents that investment in dog exercise areas (and general areas where dogs are allowed on or off leash), as human and dog populations are growing, but the areas for dogs are getting smaller.
Having space to go out and exercise with your dog is vital for the human-animal bond and has positive impacts on human health as well as dog health.
Pet parents in favour of
bereavement leave for pets
When it comes to bereavement leave for pets, most pet parents were in support. They described pets as family members and said the grief can be as profound as losing a loved one. Many felt one or two days of leave would acknowledge this while allowing employees time to grieve.
However, there was also strong recognition of the burden on employers, with many preferring the use of existing annual, sick or compassionate leave, or leaving the decision to employer discretion rather than creating a new entitlement.
Pet parent spotlight
Dive deeper
Want more fascinating insights into Kiwi pet parenting? Pounce into our previous surveys:
- The 2025 Human-Pet Bond Survey - where we looked at the profound way pets help us physically and mentally.
- The 2025 Pet and Your Pocket Survey - where we looked at how pet owners manage costs.
- The 2024 Generation Pet Survey - where we looked at how generations differ in their attitudes to pets.
- The 2024 Pet Parent Survey - where we looked at taking pets to work, pet birthdays and more.
- The 2023 World Animal Day Survey - where we looked at pet tech, pets on social media, health worries and more.
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