Easy transport for people going on holiday with dogs or cats

Lies, damned lies, and statistics is a phrase that Mark Twain attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and that in Italian we could translate as 'lies, damned lies, and statistics'. A phrase that Winston Churchill often quoted and which has become famous for describing the deceptive or manipulative use of statistics to support weak or even false arguments. We do not know what opinion Amy Kazmin, Rome correspondent of the Financial Times, has of statistics. On Friday, 14 August, she published an article that was recalled on the front page of the British newspaper and entitled Falling birth rates inspire puppy love. A title 'corrected', on the inside pages, even to How dogs replaced children in Italy. The only data cited in support of her thesis by Amy Kazmin are, first of all, that in Italy 40% of households own at least one pet, compared to 60% and 66%, respectively, in the United Kingdom and the United States (source unknown). Then the Financial Times journalist writes that 'in 2022 Italians spent 6.8 billion on pet care (sic)', attributing the figure to a Nomisma analysis of 2022. A bizarre choice, given that at the beginning of last May the data updated annually by Assalco-Zoomark were published, which are very precise and segmented and paint a more exhaustive picture of the pet food and pet care market in Italy (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 6 May).

A long preamble to say that the pet population in Italy has certainly increased in recent years (65 million is the estimate for 2025, stable with respect to 2024, compared to about 59 million) and that spending on food and care has grown at the same rate. Even more important, however, is the social and cultural change, which is more multifaceted than what emerges from Amy Kazmin's article and which indicates - in the writer's opinion - a positive evolution, not necessarily linked to the demographic decline. A decline that exists and is very worrying, but which has much more complex causes than the increase in the number of pets and the greater respect we show towards them. Given the period, let's start with travel: firstly, because on 12 May Enac (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority) introduced new regulations for the carriage of pets, including medium-large sized ones, in the cabin, exceeding previous weight limits. In other words, Italy is among the first countries in the world to allow, under certain conditions, dogs and cats to travel in the cabin together with their human companions, provided they are housed in approved and adequately insured carriers. Second important notation: on 1 July a law came into force that introduces significant changes to the penal code and to the code of criminal procedure, tightening the penalties for those who commit acts of mistreatment, abandonment, killing or other forms of offence against animals.

As is often the case, laws come about because they take note of changes in society: going back to travel and holidays, the current one concerns the number of people who have not only welcomed a pet into their home, but wish to take it with them when they take a break. And the tourism industry has moved accordingly, offering, in Italy and abroad, not only more and more transport options (by train or boat, as well as by plane), but also increasing pet-friendly facilities, a term used to indicate hotels, residences, and beaches that offer services to those travelling with one (or more) pet. Whether the holiday is short or long, the desire to take one's four-legged companions with one is increasingly widespread, in line with the idea that they are to all intents and purposes members of the family. However, this desire is not always feasible: either because the holiday is short (another growing trend, as shown by data on the summer of 2025) or because, given the characteristics of some pets, leaving all together is not advisable or not really possible: think of those who have fish or birds, which in Italy number 28.1 million (for a total of 14 million aquariums) and 12.7 million respectively. Simpler for those who have cats and especially dogs: the little felines - with due exceptions - do not like to change their daily habits 'just' to accompany their human companions. Dogs, on the other hand, almost always aspire to share as much time as possible with the 'breadwinner'. All the more so when, work demands put aside, the time is more and lived with more relaxation. As should always happen on holiday.

The 2nd Pet Summit will be held on 16 September at Magna Pars in Milan, starting at 10 a.m. and will be a day of meetings and in-depth discussions with experts. Organised by 24Ore Eventi in collaboration with Purina and under the patronage of Assalco, the summit will touch on every aspect of the pet economy and the relationship between pets and us humans. Now in its fourth edition, 'Animal to Whom?' is available on the website www.radio24.it and on the main platforms, and every Sunday of the 24 Ore Group broadcaster's summer schedule, from 12.30 to 1 p.m., a selection of episodes will be aired, ranging from pet therapy to the world of volunteering.