Future Stories: The Future Of Being A Great Pet Owner

Each month on Future Stories, we bring you a little closer to the future of everyday life. Episode eleven: The Future Of Being A Great Pet Owner One in three Irish households own a dog, and one in four own a cat, according to Statista. But we don't just "own" our animals. Many of us see our pets as friends or loved ones. And the more we consider our pets to be humans, the more invested we become in their wellbeing. This month on Future Stories, Tracy Tough hears from a bioacoustic researcher developing an algorithm that can decode dogs' barks, so humans can understand what their pet is trying to tell them. Plus, a celebrity pet invasion: Tracy speaks to a UK pet agent who represents Instagram-famous cats, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, lizards, and more - including one Wexford chihuahua with over 50,000 followers. Curious? Join us as we look ahead to the future of being a great pet owner. Brought to you by TheJournal.ie in partnership with Volkswagen. Narrator: Tracy Tough Editor: Tracy Tough Theme Music: Glenn Malone Additional Music: Conan Wynne of Ambisonics Ireland Graphic Design: Orla Finn Contributors (in order): Ann Vine, friend of narrator Paula Stewart, Urban Paws UK Tamas Faragó, bioacoustics researcher John Pender, senior lecturer at Sligo IT