Sydney is a very doggo-friendly city. There are countless parks, beaches and pubs that welcome your fur babies with open arms. That’s not to mention the Santa Paws event, dedicated entirely to canine Christmas cheer.
As it turns out, Sydneysiders take the term “fur babies” quite literally. We're facing a (human) baby recession (with birth rates lower than they've been in 18 years) – this, coupled with an increase in companion animal registrations leads us to a city where pups outnumber kids aged under 15 in 16 out of 34 Sydney councils.
The Sydney Morning Herald uncovered that in the City of Sydney, there are more than two dogs for every child. Woollahra and the Inner West come in a pretty close second, with around 1.7 dogs for every child. Mosman and the Northern Beaches sit at around 1.25 dogs per child, and even the Sutherland Shire is up there, with the same figure.
From 2019 to 2023, pet numbers grew by over 20 per cent in a third of Greater Sydney’s councils. While we may have calmed down a little post-pandemic, it seems dog children aren't going anywhere. People love their pets.
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