“Now, gold is numbers and data. There are more than 10 million pets in Spain, so knowing who their owners are is very important information. The pet business is growing. Expenditures on food, accessories, care, veterinary service, transport devices, toys… The product range is expanding and becoming more and more comprehensive. It is therefore not surprising that the hackers’ work focused on animal records and finding out who had them in the house.” This was stated by Juan Ignacio Codina of the Justice Defense Animal Observatory, after making sure that the “key” was the focus about a thriving business.
For the animal defense and welfare professional, The industry where money and pets transform “It responds to a change in mindset where we don’t ‘have’ an animal at home, but rather ‘care’ for the animal that is at home. Feed them as well as possible, have an adequate bed for them to rest, toys, hygiene accessories or transportation… veterinary services.” .. the work is endless”. “And this isn’t about ‘humanizing’ pets or some whim or quirk. It’s about a change in mindset, and it’s something on an international level. The market is also reinventing itself to deliver products that improve the lives of pet owners. So the market is incredible.” and it is growing. In recent years the sector has expanded a lot and in doing so our conscience as those responsible for animals has also grown and we want them to be as good as possible”, explains Codena.
The theft of data from the pet registry of Consell Valencià de Col·legis Veterinaris began on July 7 and continued until September 29, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries alerted the Spanish Animal Protection Agency to the cyberattack. File a complaint with the Telematic Crime Group of the National Police Service, which works in cooperation with the security teams of the Valencian Community ICT Security Centre. This isn’t the only cyber attack on animal records. National Cyber Security is aware of the same “modus operandi” in Cantabria and Galicia. And possessing pet owners’ data seems to be in the crosshairs of hackers.
That’s why the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries warns pet owners about the possibility that stolen information “could be used to send unsolicited advertising offers, create fake profiles or impersonate identities.” Generalitat Valenciana is currently working on an action plan to improve the global security of the existing computer application that manages the database.
Family expenses of approximately 1,200 euros per year
According to a study conducted by Tiendanimal, a family’s annual expenditure for each pet to ensure its nutrition, hygiene, health or beauty reaches an average of 1,200 euros. Although the percentages of expenditure on these concepts vary depending on the animal and the size or type of food purchased, The main source of this investment is foodespecially in cats and dogs, representing 41% and 27% respectively.
After food, health is the second largest expense in caring for a pet.. For example, when a dog goes to the vet for the first time, the family invests at least 120 euros in it, including vaccinations or the deworming process. To this base price should be added the purchase of straws and other elements to prevent flea or tick attacks, as well as the use of medication in case the animal becomes ill. All this causes families to invest an average of 332 euros a year in their pet’s health.