New ING Australia research reveals how far Australians would go for their cats and dogs

Jodie Nixon’s beloved sausage dog, Hunter, needed emergency surgery with a $14,000 price tag. Find out har far Aussies will go for their pets.

Pet or partner: if you had to choose, where would your loyalties lie?

According to an ING Australia report, one in four Australians would end a relationship if their partner did not like their pet.

The YouGov research of more than 1000 dog and cat owners across the country concluded what many pet parents already know: Aussies are obsessed with their pets.

One third of those surveyed confess to loving their critters more than family members, with another third considering their pet as a child and the same percentage say they would even risk their life for a pet.

On average, Aussies invest 9.6 hours each week caring for and up-keeping their dogs and cats, the research found – time put toward grooming, training, shopping, feeding, exercising and entertaining.

ING Australia head of insurance Dina Kotsopoulos says the survey findings help us better understand our reliance on animal companions.

What would you do if your partner and pet didn’t get along? Picture: iStock

And the wellness benefits cannot be overlooked, with more than one third saying their mental health improved since owning a pet; more than 50 per cent saying their pet has a calming effect on them; and 20 per cent believing their animal makes them more motivated to enjoy life.

“One of the reasons we’re spending so much time on our pets is there has been something in it for us,” says Kotsopoulos. “It’s clear that our furry friends help us with our overall wellbeing and happiness, encouraging us to feel less stressed with life and helping us to focus on the things that matter most.”

Kotsopoulos says just 18 per cent of owners have pet insurance, despite 40 per cent of them spending more money on their pets than themselves.

“This is why we’ve decided to launch ING Pet Insurance, to help safeguard owners against unexpected expenses in treating their much loved furry friends for accidents and sickness,” she says.

Jodie Nixon and Joss Maybury with dogs Odin, left, and Hunter on their wedding day. Picture: Clarzzique

When Jodie Nixon’s beloved sausage dog, Hunter, needed surgery for intervertebral disc disease last year, she didn’t think twice.

“In January last year we got back from New Zealand and picked the dog up from my sister’s house,” Nixon says. “There was something wrong with him. Calcified material in his disc had burst and paralysed him, which is really common with dachshunds.”

Hunter had to have emergency surgery with a $14,000 price tag but with pet insurance, Nixon and her husband, Joss Maybury, were still $2000 out of pocket.

“Hunter’s pet insurance is now equivalent to my health insurance because we have made so many claims, but it’s well worth it,” says Nixon.

Dogs have played a big role in Nixon’s family and she says they are seen more as children than pets.

Jodie Nixon with her bridesmaids and dog Hunter the sausage dog on wedding day in 2016. Picture: Clarzzique

“Hunter and Odin (a sable German shepherd who has since passed) were the showstoppers at our wedding,” says Nixon. “They were in all the photos. We had cut-outs of them at the reception so people could take photos with them. We even served cocktails named after them.”

Nixon agrees with the research, pet ownership offers many benefits.

“The mental health benefits, especially during COVID … we really noticed the impact of our dogs in a really positive way,” she says. “We had to prioritise their needs. We couldn’t lie around, they needed us to be up and walking them. They’re always going to have a positive impact on our mental health, they are beacons of positivity in our lives.”