More Miami residents own dogs than cats

We love all our pets in South Florida, but dogs run things around here.

Driving the news: About 23% of households in greater Miami owned a dog in 2021, more than double the 10% of households that own a cat, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• The metro area includes Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

The big picture: South Florida trails other large U.S. metros in both categories.

• Our love for dogs ranks 14th among the 15 largest U.S. metro areas, and we’re 15th for cats.

By the numbers: An estimated 507,500 households in greater Miami own at least one dog, which is about 23% of the area’s more than 2.2 million households, according to the census data.

• About 223,100 households (10% of the region’s total) have a cat.
• An estimated 26,300 have fish, and 26,700 have birds.

Yes, but: More than 1.5 million households reported having no pets at all.

• It’s unclear whether that’s due to financial hardship, apartment/condo restrictions or some other reason.