Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reports that in 2024 Canada had about 17.2 million dogs and cats: 8.9 million cats + 8.3 million dogs.

The number of Canadian households owning cats or dogs rose from approximately 10.83 million in 2019 to 12.23 million in 2024.

That’s an increase of roughly 1.4 million pet-owning households in five years, or about 13%.

Dog-owning households increased from about 5.10 million in 2019 to 6.00 million in 2024—nearly 900,000 additional dog-owning households.

In March 2025, CVMA reported that Canada had 15,278 actively practising veterinarians in 2023–24, an increase of 7.9% in just one year. Veterinary-sector GDP increased 7.5%, economic output increased 7.4%, and employment increased 6.7%.

The industry is responding to public need and demand, but the rate of pet ownership is still outstripping veterinary colleges’ ability to educate and train veterinary professionals.

Sources: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association