Wag! Survey Finds 59% of Pet Parents Plan To Take Their Dogs And Cats Trick-or-Treating This Halloween

Findings from Wag! show pets are the preferred family member to celebrate with during the upcoming holiday

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With spooky season approaching, Wag!, (Wag! Group Co.) (Nasdaq: PET), an American pet services marketplace company powering a mobile-first technology platform that enables on-demand and scheduled dog walking, overnight care, training, and other pet care services, surveyed pet parents nationwide to see how they were preparing to celebrate Halloween with their pets. Wag! conducted a national scientific random sample of 1,000 U.S. adult dog or cat parents, and while it may not be surprising that 95% of pet parents are excited for Halloween this year, more pet parents are planning to involve their furry friend in all of the excitement.

This year, 59% of pet parents, who celebrate Halloween, plan to take their pet(s) Trick-or-Treating, and for 12% of the Trick-or-Treaters, it will be their first time. It's no secret that now more than ever, dogs and cats are considered "family members" instead of just "pets." And Wag!'s survey results emphasize that sentiment across the board, from festivity planning, to costume spending, and more.

A rise in pet spending has been an ongoing trend that sees no sign of slowing down. The Wag! survey found that pet parents are sparing no expense, with 55% of dog parents and 46% of cat parents anticipating the cost of their pet costume to exceed $25; and 30% of dog parents and 26% of cat parents anticipating the cost of their pet costume to exceed $50. Comparatively, 75% of pet parents anticipate the cost of their child's costume to exceed $25, and 44% anticipate the cost of their child's costume to exceed $50.

• Man's Best Friend: 31% would prefer a dog or cat as their Trick-or-Treating companion to a child or even their spouse
• The Cat's Meow: 38% would prefer to see a dog or cat Trick-or-Treating at their door to a child, friend, or neighbor
• I Can Be Your Hero, Baby: 50% of pet parents who plan to dress up their dog or cat, are considering a superhero costume for their pet and 54% are considering a "funny costume" like a pumpkin or Starbucks cup
• Cute Costumes: 53% think dogs or cats look cuter than children in Halloween costumes

Respondents were also asked to select the ideal matches of several dog breeds with a pop-culture costume counterpart. While these are only suggestions from the survey respondents, and Wag! wouldn't dare tell pet parents how to dress their pet, the survey did find that people generally agreed on some tail-wagging costumes for certain breeds.

• Great Dane + Jurassic Park dinosaur
• Pitbull + Thor
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel + Bridgerton character
• Shih-­‐tzu + Winifred from Hocus Pocus
• German Shepherd + Batman
• Golden Retriever + Spiderman
• Chihuahua + Yoda

While Halloween is a favorite time of year for revelry, it does pose some unique challenges for pet parents.

• Boo! Hiss: 40% say their pet exhibits behavior challenges during Halloween due to unfamiliar guests in their space
• I Want Candy!: 53% of dog parents say their dog has tried to eat chocolate during Halloween and 11% say they have this problem every year

• Avoid letting kids give the dog any of their treats. A 22 lb dog would need to ingest only 65g of chocolate (little more than a large Hershey bar) for it to be fatal. Double check to ensure the treats are far away from Fido's reach!
• Choose Halloween decor that is pet safe and as far off the ground as possible.
• Before all the nighttime activity excitement, be sure to give your doggo a good, extra long walk to tire them out and help them cope with the unfamiliar sights and sounds of Halloween.

This sample of 1,000 U.S. adults was surveyed on September 7 and 8, 2022. All respondents are pet parents of at least one cat or dog and are likely to celebrate Halloween this October. This scientific random sample has a margin of error of 3.1% with 95% confidence

Wag! strives to be the #1 platform for busy pet parents, offering access to 5-star dog walking, pet sitting, expert pet advice, wellness plans, and one-on-one training from Wag!'s community of 400,000 local pet caregivers nationwide in addition to pet insurance options from the leading pet insurance companies. Making pet parents happy is what Wag! does best. With safety and wellness at the forefront, Wag! has a trusted record of experience with more than 12 million pet care services completed by pet caregivers on the Wag! Platform, across 5,300 cities and 50 states, with pet parents rating 96% of services as 5-star. Wag! also operates Petted.com, the nation's largest pet insurance comparison marketplace. In addition to the Wag! Pet Caregiver App, empowers pet caregivers to care for pets in their neighborhood and earn real money. For more information, visit wag.co.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the words "anticipate," "expect," "suggests," "plan," "believe," "intend," "estimates," "targets," "projects," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will," "forecast" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the Company's ability to further develop and advance its pet service offerings and achieve scale; ability to attract personnel; market opportunity, anticipated growth, and future financial performance, including management's financial outlook for 2022. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: management's financial outlook for 2022; market adoption of the Company's pet service offerings and solutions; the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property; changes in the competitive industries in which the Company operates; changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company's business; the Company's ability to implement its business plans, forecasts and other expectations, and identify and realize additional partnerships and opportunities; and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry including, but not limited to, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's final prospectus filed with the SEC on July 12, 2022 and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

SOURCE Wag!