![Smiling service member pets dog while laying on the couch.](https://oneop.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AdobeStock_526270057-scaled.jpeg)
Brown (2023) estimates that nearly 62% of Americans have a pet, and half of pet owners not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as a human member. Financial professionals working with service members who have pets can help them research pet expense categories and factor in regular care costs into their monthly spending plan worksheet.