The cost of personal loans
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
While a personal loan can help consumers do a variety of things: pay off medical bills, cover emergency expenses or make the vacation of a lifetime, the convenience comes at a cost, said Laura Hendrix, professor and personal finance and consumer expert for the Cooperative Extension Service.
The first cost is interest, which is expressed as annual percentage rate, or APR.
“Look for the loan with the lowest APR. A lower APR can save you thousands of dollars over the life of a loan,” Hendrix said.
Lenders also charge fees on loans, so it’s important to shop around for a loan with the lowest fees.
What kind of terms a borrower receives depends on how a consumer manages credit, which is summed up in a credit score.
“Lenders rely on scores from the three main credit reporting agencies or they may have their own, but the scores from each tend to be close,” Hendrix said. “Most scoring systems range from 300 to 850. Higher scores will qualify consumers for lower interest rates.”
Most consumers have scores in the 600s or 700s.
“Consumer with credit scores 700 and above will qualify for better terms on a loan,” she said. “Check your score at www.annualcreditreport.com.”
Managing debt
Another factor in lender decision-making is a consumer’s debt-to-income ratio.
“The debt-to-income ratio is the total amount of monthly debt payments divided by monthly income,” Hendrix said. “If you are already over-extended on credit, you might find it more difficult to qualify for a loan.”
Before you obtain a loan, have plans to speed the payoff.
“You’ll save more money in the long run by paying off the loan as soon as possible,” she said. “Be sure to check your loan agreement to make sure that there is not a penalty for paying off the loan early.”
Fees also play into the payoff.
“Aim for a payment amount that you know you can afford to make every month,” Hendrix said. “Late payments or missing payments can lead to more fees and can potentially damage your credit score.”
If “neither a borrower nor lender be” is more your credo, Hendrix has suggestions:
- Save money to pay part of all the price in cash. Examine your budget to find ways to save.
- Look for less expensive alternatives for the item you are purchasing.
- Postpone the purchase until you are more financially stable.
The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
Winfield Baptist Church gets Update
Driving on West Highway 248 from Waldron you may notice a church set back off the road at the bottom of a hill. When then sun is high in the morning the front of the fellowship hall is brightly illuminated showcasing a beautiful array of flowers along the buildings. Maybe you have wondered the history of this church!
The building has been standing since 1868 and was originally known as Poteau Baptist Church. (Winfield as a community would not be established until 1882.) All churches in Western Arkansas south of the Arkansas River and north of Mena were in the Dardanelle Baptist Association. At that time the church was just the one small two-story building that served as the sanctuary. Sunday School was added to the church in 1879.
In September 1957 Poteau Baptist Church became Winfield Baptist Church, under Pastor Bro. Elton Pennington, and remained that to present day. The church added the block bathrooms still to the south of the church in 1970. The inside bathrooms were added in 1980, and a fellowship hall was created beside the original sanctuary. That is where the Sunday School classrooms are now, with more classrooms being added in and the buildings connected in 1994.
Back in 1988 a group of men came together and formed Nailbenders for Jesus. They are still established and working to carry out their mission today. Back during the fall of 2000 they came to Winfield to help build the new sanctuary. Their goal at Winfield was to handle the framing and make the building dry and ready to finish the interior construction. Another crew came in and helped finish the inside.
Memories are funny, I think sometimes I remember things more because I have seen photos of them. As I type this, I have the foggiest memory of the church still being in the old sanctuary. This I would presume is more due to the fact I have seen photos of it. And even though I was very young (not quite 5 from looking at the dates), I have another foggy memory of what it looked like when the new Sanctuary was built. I can remember playing with some of the other youth when the church was just concrete and someone twisted their ankle. A personal anecdote that really has nothing to do with the history of the building, but as someone who was raised in this church it’s a fond thought for me to remember.
The former sanctuary building became the fellowship hall, and the fellowship hall became the Sunday School building. The building stood the test of time, but as old buildings do, it needed some attention recently. Last year work began to level the floors and repair the sloping that had occurred after being around for 156 years! Now the Winfield Fellowship Hall has had a complete facelift! New flooring replaced the carpets that had been in it for many years, and paint has been fixed throughout.
Since 2014 the church has had Bro. William Crelia as the pastor for Winfield Baptist Church. Winfield is presently part of the Buckner Baptist Association.
The history in this small church is rich! Hundreds of people have been through it over the years hearing the Gospel, the Baptism rates through the 1800s and 1900s were remarkable. Now it’s still standing with faithful members coming to fellowship and hear the Gospel in 2025. The original members probably had no idea the church would be standing for 157 years, but I bet they would be proud to know it and see it now. If you would like to attend a service and see the work that has been done, or if you are looking for something that only Jesus can provide services are Sunday School 10AM, Worship Service 11AM, Sunday Evening Service 6PM, Wednesday Service is at 6PM. The address is 9768 W Hwy 248 Waldron, AR 72958.
Mansfield Elementary School 4th Quarter Honor Roll/Principal’s List
4th Quarter
Honor Roll/Principal’s List
Kindergarten Honor Roll:
Carson Efurd, Oakley Efurd, Rhiatt Escalanta, Aaron Fry, Saylor Hamilton, Evan McBride, Ava McCutcheon, Laney Moore, Sonny Oxford, Abbigail Prater, Veda Purifoy, Harper Shrum, Addison Sisco, Minka Sterling, Jaspar Webster
Kindergarten Principal’s List:
Noah Baker, Hudson Bond, Erin Clark, Nova Connor, Kaelyna Cook, Raelyn Dooley, Waylon Elmore, Jude Garrison, River Hamilton, Hope Harris, Delilah Harrison, Drayden Hartman, Monica Herrera-Vidana, Logan Howell, Adrianne McCool, Athena McDonald, Rhett Moore, Mattie Mullins, Cecilia Newman, Josie Nichols, Annagrace Overton, Lynnden Reano, PJ Reed, Jaylie Richmond, Waylon Robison, Haven Shores, Talon Shrum, Jason Silva, Conor Smith, Ocie Walden, Case Walls
First Grade Honor Roll:
Alaina Blevins, Ava Bowman, Jessica Boyd, Kylie Brown, Tucker Brumbelow, Jimmy Case, Weston Hattabaugh, Avery Hensley, Arabella Horn, Aurora King-Drew, Emerson Krigbaum, Leena Little, Savannah Morton, Tinslee Moses, Griffin Safranek, Marleigh Thomas
First Grade Principal’s List:
Edward Biazo, Jani Cowan, Penelope Dang, Lawson Gitthens, Maci Grissom, Lainey Hattabaugh, Hadley Heydenreich, Deklan Highsmith, Emily Langford, Logan Leland, Addison Mize, Finn Moss, Zoey Nguyen, Lucas Pennington, Redwater Stick, Jessie Swearingen, McKenzie Tole
Second Grade Honor Roll:
Damien Brown, Eli Clay, Dakota Coplin, Addison Deeds, Mason Dickinson, Lenya Fortner, Marleigh Fuerst, Sawyer Godwin, Emily Griffin, Piper Hall, Chase Hansel, Liam Helms, Cambrie Mason, Mylah McNeill, Cayson Milligan, Gabriella Moore, Della Newman, Ellie Polk, Emmalee Pollard, Jayce Reed, Skyee Riordan, Addyson Turner
Second Grade Principal’s List:
Aurora Alvarez, Trynadee Bryen, Wade Roper, Aurora Sylva, Aiden Whittaker, Deacon Wilson
Third Grade Honor Roll:
Presley Adams, Rayleigh Bascue, Wynter Belue, Karleigh Boswell, Anaya Brown, Paizlee Coe, Kylor Cox, Skylar Deer, Jerra Dewitt, Journey Elmore, Makayla Eubanks, Maddie Francis, Tobias Fuerst, Lane Gitthens, Coda Griffin, Hadley Guillory, Divina Hunt, Edmund Krause, Gus Krigbaum, Amerie Marcotte, Toby Meyers, Asher Moore, Sarah Morton, Emery Newman, Ethan Nguyen, Skye Pruitt, Elaina Robinson, Beau Shaver, Ava Silvey, Olivia Smith, Hugh Strozier, Colten Williams, Temperance Wingate, Easton Winters, Natalie Young
Third Grade Principal’s List:
Charlotte Booker, Lincoln Bozant, Ainsley Hawkins, Roslyn Himes, Elijah McCutcheon, Adalynn Pennington, Jayden Soares
Fourth Grade Honor Roll:
Ryleigh Andrews, Paige Bryan, Mylee Escalanta, Nora Godwin, Aiyanna Gordon, Jedidiah Guinn, Braylee Hamilton, Bricen Harp, Madalyn Hope, Kenzlea Jenkins,
Kamrynn Jackson, Brooklynn Johnson, Harper Jolley, Tyler Lawrence, Haley Plowman, Hailie Prater, Delani Purifoy, Parker Roberts, Rebel Sanders, Jayden Schaefer, Faith Smith, Hayden Smith, Luke Wingate, Erik Wright
Fourth Grade Principal’s List:
Alexis Bates, Ella Brown, Emma Carlton, Racyn Clopton, Coraline Cook, Carson Copeland, Jaxon Dickinson, Hunter Elmore, Peyton Grissom, Montana Hattabaugh, Layton Heydenreich, Alexandria Howell, Matthew Hudcovic, Riley Kelley, Woodrow
Krigbaum, Anniegayle Minden, Gabriella Morgan, Kinsley Norton, Jessica Risner, Kyren Ross, Brody Schefe, Ethan Trinh, Ashlynn Uselton, Skyla Webb, Bobbie Wright
2nd Semester
Honor Roll/Principal’s List
Kindergarten Honor Roll:
Carter Duarte-Trejo, Oakley Efurd, Rhiatt Escalanta, Saylor Hamilton, Case Mason, Evan McBride, Ava McCutcheon, Laney Moore, Lynnlee O’Bar, Sonny Oxford, Abbigail Prater, Veda Purifoy, PJ Reed, Waylon Robinson, Harper Shrum, Addison Sisco, Minka Sterling, Jaspar Webster
Kindergarten Principal’s List:
Noah Baker, Hudson Bond, Erin Clark, Nova Connor, Kaelyna Cook, Raelyn Dooley, Carson Efurd, Waylon Elmore, Aaron Fry, Jude Garrison, River Hamilton, Hope Harris, Delilah Harrison, Drayden Hartman, Monica Herrera-Vidana, Logan Howell, Adrianne McCool, Athena McDonald, Rhett Moore, Mattie Mullins, Cecilia Newman, Josie Nichols, Annagrace Overton, Lynnden Reano, Jaylie Richmond, Haven Shores, Talon Shrum, Jaxson Silva, Conor Smith, Ocie Walden, Case Walls
First Grade Honor Roll:
Alaina Blevins, Edward Biazo, Ava Bowman, Kylie Brown, Jimmy Case, Matthew Francis, Weston Hattabaugh, Avery Hensley, Maci Grissom, Arabella Horn, Kimber Kuettle, Zayne Morrison, Savannah Morton, Tinslee Moses, Marleigh Thomas
First Grade Principal’s List:
Jani Cowan, Penelope Dang, Lawson Gitthens, Lainey Hattabaugh, Hadley Heydenreich, Deklan Highsmith, Emerson Krigbaum, Emily Langford, Logan Leland, Leena Little, Addison Mize, Finn Moss, Zoey Nguyen, Lucas Pennington, Redwater Stick, Jessie Swearingen, McKenzie Tole
Second Grade Honor Roll:
Stella Adams, Damien Brown, Trynadee Bryen, Eli Clay, Dakota Coplin, Addison Deeds, Mason Dickinson, Marleigh Fuerst, Sawyer Godwin, Emily Griffin, Piper Hall, Chase Hansel, Roque Hattabaugh, Liam Helms, Wyatt Howard, Lillian Magsby, Cambrie Mason, Mylah McNeill, Cayson Milligan, Gabriella Moore, Della Newman, Eltie Polk, Emmalee Pollard, Wade Roper, Aurora Sylva, Addyson Turner
Second Grade Principal’s List:
Aurora Alvarez, Jayce Reed, Deacon Wilson, Aiden Whittaker
Third Grade Honor Roll:
Presley Adams, Rayleigh Bascue, Wynter Belue, Karleigh Boswell, Ezekiel Buckley, Paizlee Coe, Kylor Cox, Skylar Deer, Jerra Dewitt, Journey Elmore, Makayla Eubanks, Maddie Francis, Tobias Fuerst, Lane Gitthens, Coda Griffin, Hadley Guillory, Roslyn Himes, Divina Hunt, Edmund Krause, Gus Krigbaum, Amerie Marcotte, Elijah McCutcheon, Toby Meyers, Asher Moore, Sarah Morton, Emery Newman, Ethan Nguyen, Skye Pruitt, Elaina Robinson, Beau Shaver, Ava Silvey, Olivia Smith, Jayden Soares, Hugh Strozier, Colten Williams, Temperance Wingate, Easton Winters, Natalie Young
Third Grade Principal’s List:
Charlotte Booker, Lincoln Bozant, Ainsley Hawkins, Adalynn Pennington
Fourth Grade Honor Roll:
Zoey Barnett, Paige Bryan, Lilinette Cormier, Parker Davis, Jaxon Dickinson, Mylee Escalanta, Aiyanna Gordon, Jedidiah Guinn, Braylee Hamilton, Madalyn Hope, Kamrynn Jackson, Kenzlea Jenkins, Harper Jolley, Oliver Jones, Woodrow Krigbaum, Delani Purifoy, Jessica Risner, Parker Roberts, Rebel Sanders, Jayden Schaefer, Wyatt Shelton, Faith Smith, Hayden Smith, Luke Wingate, Bobbie Wright, Erik Wright
Fourth Grade Principal’ List:
Ryleigh Andrews, Alexis Bates, Ella Brown, Emma Carlton, Racyn Clopton, Carson Copeland, Coraline Cook, Hunter Elmore, Nora Godwin, Peyton Grissom, Montana Hattabaugh, Layton Heydenreich, Alexandria Howell, Matthew Hudcovic, Brooklynn Johnson, Riley Kelley, Tyler Lawrence, Anniegayle Minden, Gabriella Morgan, Kinsley Norton, Haley Plowman, Hailie Prater, Kyren Ross, Ethan Trinh, Ashlynn Uselton, Skyla Webb
Mansfield Middle School Principal List/Honor Roll for Spring 2025
Principal’s List
5th Grade
Raelyn Bozant, Jordan Cesaire, Dahlia Collier, Faith Harris, Audi Hiatt, Meaghan Leland, Clayton Moore, Raylyn Moore, Caroline Mort, Piper Sudbeck, Robert Swearingen, Kalea Trautwein
6th Grade
Lydia Buchanan, Ava Davis, Angel Duong, Avery Edwards, Ava Elmore, Cailynn Garrison, Ryleigh McEntire, Cung Sang, Journey Silva, Kinlee Winters
7th Grade
Colt Allbritton, Annabelle Buchanan, Enya Trinh
8th Grade
Abbigail Adams, Kinsey Boatright, Thomas Boyd, Tucker Brown, Judy Bui, Jalee Edwards, Caiden Elmore, Bentley Hoover, Brennen Neel, Mak Robinson, Vantha Uk
Honor Roll
5th Grade
Nathaniel Adams, Asher Barnett, Remington Boyd, Ariya Chronister, Kiera Connor, Kaiden Copeland, Easton Crossland, Melanie Cumbie, Bradlee Estep, Korben Eyerman, Myla Francis, Jordan Gordon, Avery Griffin, Riley Hall, Karly Hudson, Bentley Kinsey, Alexis McBride, Cannon Meyers, Zoey Schossow, Liam Soares, Ryder Staton, Hadleigh Whittaker, Kassidy Wilson, Emma Young
6th Grade
Keelyn Berger, Kensley Berger, Blake Campbell, Elijah Carlton, Kenton Castro, Stella Cochron, Robyn Davis, Liam Dorr, Landon Gann, Luke Gates, Salem Gillilan, Bentley Harp, Lucas Hensley, Aiden Hutchens, Paislee Jackson, Lillian Johnson, Hanna Kunkel, Jaxson Lang, Evangeline Lemmond, August Martin, Keaton Morgan, Brantley Oldham, Bawichin Par, Crystal Rassasombath, Parker Sanders, Emmy Smith, Katlin Strozier, Izabelle Urban, Jade Xiong
7th Grade
Ashtyn Adams, Joshua Bascue, Emet Bates, Cung Bawi, Jaiden Black, Kamryn Bolin, Paris Cervantes, Izabella Childs, Samuel Cooper, Jason Davidson, Paityn Eubanks, Hope Fury, Kyson Gregory, Tucker Hattabaugh, Gabriel Haysmer, Lillian Hiatt, Elly Ling, Catrina Litchford, Abbi Neal, Anna Neal, Evan Pettus, Mykenzi Pollard, Zeke Porter, Parker Russell, Aria Schefe, Jonny Souder, Maddox Sterling, Ezra Sylva, Bryanna Urban, Ember Uselton
8th Grade
Samuel Bates, Eva Buchanan, Isaac Carson, Ben Chitalad, Andy Dickson, Abby Downs, Hannah Elmore, Natalie Fields, Kyle Frasher, Michael Gilmer, Kyla Heck, Ellah Heydenreich, Cole Jackson, Gracious Jeffers, Braylee Meyers, Zacharias Miller, Colton Moore, Rylie Moore, Landon Morgan, Bethany Mounts, Tara Pettygrew, Mayce Phillips, Kaylynn Piyapho, Layton Pyles, Hadley Shores, Everleigh Smith, Lily Souder, Autumn Staton, Paris Stovall, Vivi Sylva, Landon Townsend, Londynn Turnipseed
ATU-Ozark Campus releases spring 2025 Chancellor’s List, Honor Roll
OZARK, Ark. (May 27, 2025)–Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus has announced its Chancellor’s List and Honor Roll for the spring 2025 semester.
The ATU-Ozark Campus Chancellor’s List recognizes students who complete a semester with a 4.0 grade point average (GPA), while the ATU-Ozark Campus Honor Roll honors students who complete a semester with a GPA between 3.5-3.9.
A total of 447 ATU-Ozark Campus students earned special commendation for their academic achievement during spring 2025, including 245 students who recorded a 4.0 GPA.
The members of the spring 2025 ATU-Ozark Campus Chancellor’s List and Honor Roll are:
ALMA — Tiara Abernathy, Madison Anthony, Miguel Araujo-Zavala, Brooke Bowlin, Kaden Cates (4.0), Cory Cook, Sonya Daniel, Elana DeBolt, Audrey Goodson, Peyton Gregory, Hillary Hurst (4.0), Joseph Hyde (4.0), Alissa James, Ashley Maxey (4.0), Kylie Poole (4.0), Ashley Robinson, StarLin Shelly (4.0), Zoey Shook (4.0), Kacey Solida, Morgan Tuttle (4.0), Courtney Word (4.0);
ALTUS — Amanda Fisher (4.0), Shanna Glover, Madison Jackson (4.0), Brittany Negrete (4.0), Allen Puckett (4.0), Sierra Qualls (4.0);
ATKINS — Brittany Boyer, Emylie Hull (4.0), Josie Taylor, Noah Wyatt;
BARLING — Josephine Anderson, Jillian Coats, Stevie Oaks (4.0), Amanda Slate;
BEE BRANCH — Erin Holland (4.0);
BOONEVILLE — Cassandra Ashley (4.0), Eddy Bagley, Katerinia Burcham (4.0), Hannah Burnett (4.0), Cassandra Canada, TeCeanna Guaderrama, Vonda Hall, Dusten Hammer, Leah Herman, Kelcee Herrera, Austin Hill (4.0), Miranda Howard (4.0), Brooklyn Keeter, Ashlie Lang, Sara Mattson (4.0), Thomas Mendoza, Kelcie Mezzaline (4.0), Chasity Pennebaker, Joshua Reddy (4.0), Jessica Robertson (4.0), Sharon Self (4.0), Jonathan Stewart, Emylea Williamson (4.0);
BRANCH — Roxanne McMillan (4.0), Jude Woodrome;
CECIL — Keith Williams (4.0);
CEDARVILLE — Amanda Ames, Cassandra Carney, Joel Moore, Elizabeth Templeton (4.0);
CENTERTON — Destiny Shatswell, Emily Wingard;
CHARLESTON — Paul Akers, Taylor Allen, Kayla Falconer (4.0), Anakah Gadzinski (4.0), Cole Grantham (4.0), Nicoleas Grantham, Michael Hunter (4.0), Elizabeth Johnson, Trevor Jones, Rian Kearney, Christian Martin, Shawna Mcdonald (4.0), Kaden Murry, Amber Newton (4.0), Amethyst Reed, Stephenie Reed, Adrianna Robison, Jessica Ross, Chloe Shelton (4.0), Logan Smart, Kendra Toney (4.0), Cadence Wibbing (4.0);
CHESTER — Alexis Byron, Blake Foley (4.0), Brendan Parker;
CLARKSVILLE — Wynter Archuleta (4.0), Maya Baker (4.0), Kelly Barber (4.0), Haedyn Berry (4.0), Amandalyn Boen (4.0), Jennifer Boyd, Sandra Cain (4.0), Keirstyn Carr, Angel Cortes, Calvin Cowell, Alexis Diamond (4.0), Kaden Dougan (4.0), Sandy Hall (4.0) , Hsa Htoo, Mu Ka Pru Htoo, Say Ku Htoo, Yee Htway (4.0), Tappasarn Jantaleuk, Ashley Kirkpatrick, TaEh Kue (4.0), Karmen Lantz (4.0), Cederick Lee (4.0), Yovani Linares, Megan Lindsey (4.0), Judybeth Madrigal, Mattison McCormick, Makenzie McKittrick (4.0), Hsa Paw Ler Moo (4.0), Roselyn Murguia Delgado (4.0), Aimara Navarro, Zitlaly Onofre, Jenifer Osornio-Castillo, Lweh Paw (4.0), Naw Mu Paw, Ana Rivota Pereyra, Autumn Rogers (4.0), Denise Roman (4.0), Morgan Sanders, Ross Scott, Nathaniel Sebo, Linda Self (4.0), Charlie Smith, Jonia Smith (4.0), Paw Soe (4.0), Jessica Sparks Hampton (4.0), Jordan Taylor (4.0), Paige Vaughn (4.0);
COAL HILL — Jody Dalton (4.0), Piper Evans-Tull (4.0), Ashley Malone (4.0);
CONWAY — Sonia Pena, Madison Sims Rucker;
DANVILLE — Tessie Bookout, Hannah Murray (4.0), Shelby Nehus (4.0);
DARDANELLE — Emily Allen, Matthew O’Bryan, Noelia Santos-Gonzalez (4.0);
DELAWARE — Calee LeBlanc (4.0);
DOVER — Lily Walters, Jeremy Whitcomb (4.0);
DRASCO — Hannah Stone (4.0);
FAYETTEVILLE — Kayla Harp (4.0);
FORT SMITH — Kayla Alspach (4.0), Jessica Araujo (4.0), Marisol Araujo, Valerie Barkman (4.0), Delicia Blocker (4.0), Carlee Blount, Amber Brown, Keanna Brunk (4.0), Joseph Cecil, Izamar Chacon (4.0), Nellisha Franklin (4.0), Lisa Gattis, William Goodman (4.0), Belize Guerra (4.0), William Guerra (4.0), Chloe Harp (4.0), Sabra Harris, Megan-Ashley Jines (4.0), Austin Lawhorn (4.0), Caitlyn Loftis (4.0), Cindy Lopez (4.0), Carla Martinez (4.0), Izbeth Martinez-Almanza (4.0), Brad McGarry (4.0), Duece Mounger, Kimberly O’Hagan, Johny Pacheco (4.0), Makayla Pearcy, Judy Rios (4.0), Ha Saygnaphay (4.0), Symone Smith (4.0), Sadie Smithson (4.0), Anna Spicer (4.0), James Stephens (4.0), Karina Villanueva, Padee Vue, Austin Walker, John Warren (4.0), Janessa Xayavongsa (4.0), Luke Young, Emma Youngblood;
GREENWOOD — Misshel Alvarado Calderon, Kelsey Bednar (4.0), Brayden Cullen (4.0), Teria Davis (4.0), Tatum Fein, Hunter Money (4.0), Jacob Morton (4.0), Kaylee Pennington, Jordan Ross, Jordan Scott, Jennifer Sifford, Chantal Ziebol (4.0);
HACKETT — Ashley Johnson (4.0), Seabastyn Yarbrough;
HAGARVILLE — Holly Wood (4.0);
HARRISON — Jason Sublett (4.0);
HARTFORD — Natosha McCool;
HARTMAN — Rachelle Criss, Alicia Fowler (4.0), Jacob Hooper (4.0), Kaitlyn Nichols (4.0), Paden Stricklin, Ptrer Wah (4.0);
HAVANA — Hannah Nichols;
HECTOR — Jessica Miller, Cade Nielsen (4.0);
HOT SPRINGS — Bayley Brown, Ian Gervacio;
HUNTINGTON — Abigail Rodriguez (4.0), Timothy Schmelzer;
JACKSONVILLE — Jonathan Caldwell (4.0);
KNOXVILLE — Irbin Solis;
LAMAR — Tyler Benoit (4.0), Harley Blevins (4.0), Libby Caldwell, Rebecca Connor (4.0), Ashton Curtis (4.0), Keith Day (4.0), Karely Garcia (4.0), Mycalia Goines, Jennifer Holt (4.0), Nery Octaviano (4.0), Aaron Page (4.0), Keshia Papasan (4.0), Loretta Pitts (4.0), Brittney Pruitt (4.0), Kodie Reynolds, Cory Vire (4.0), Elizabeth Yang (4.0);
LAVACA — Joanie Best (4.0), Caleb Corbell, Jackson Davis (4.0), Lillian Fults, Jeremy Golden, Tana Trent;
LINCOLN — Jocelyn Akin;
LITTLE ROCK — Mitchell Corbett-Strain (4.0);
LONDON — Bryce Beagle, Emma Hickey;
MAGAZINE — Avilah Bellen (4.0), Jessica Cauthon (4.0), Joshua Crawford (4.0), William Mikles (4.0), Jessica Pruitt (4.0), Megan Stokes (4.0);
MENA — David Hatfield;
MOUNTAINBURG — Sarah Farmer, Kohl Magness (4.0), Kamden Meinardus (4.0), Jaxon Moore (4.0), Mallory Provence (4.0);
MULBERRY — Dustin Aldridge (4.0), Amy Bond (4.0), Kaleb Burdick, Annabelle Gordon (4.0), Therrell Johnson (4.0), Cierra Justice, Zachary Millsap, Emily Skolarski, Verlin Winters (4.0);
NATURAL DAM — Paden Knight;
OARK — Ashley Wilson (4.0);
OPPELO — Cody Roberts (4.0);
OZARK — Macey Allred, Alicia Black, Sonya Boone, Tiffany Bynum (4.0), Alyssa Clemons (4.0), Tyler Crabtree, Brettaney Davenport (4.0), Dominic DiMaggio (4.0), Brayden English, Emily Farmer (4.0), Timothy Faulkner, Tangela Felkins (4.0), Erick Flynn, Josephine Franks, Terri Frazier (4.0), Serj Gaither (4.0), Noah Garza, Bridget Gunter (4.0), Kayla Haberer, Tyler Harty, Kailee Hays, Rylie Hays, Carrie Heidelberg, Harold Holt (4.0), Joshua Howe (4.0), Teegan Hutchison, Lawsyn Jackson (4.0), Jessica Jones (4.0), Autumn Joy, Andres Lopez (4.0), Alexandra Luna, Stephen McCormick (4.0), Nicholas Milholland (4.0), Hannah Morris (4.0), Rebekah Morris (4.0), Kenedy Myers (4.0), Emilie Newsom, Harleigh Nichols (4.0), Matthew Nichols, Ivan Parker-Diaz (4.0), Sandra Patterson (4.0), Shelby Payne (4.0), Samantha Pomeroy, Dominick Powers (4.0), Veronica Richardson (4.0), Anastasia Roque, Weston Stenback, Weston Stepp (4.0), Terry Taylor (4.0), Gregory Tillery (4.0), Jonathan Trotter (4.0), Coby Wade (4.0), Ansley Wilkins, Marissa Wilson, Liby Wood, Chayce Woolf, Bryar Yates (4.0), Logan Young (4.0);
OZONE — Kaitlin Johnson;
PARIS — Jessica Atkinson, Camryn Bauer, Genevive Bradley (4.0), Arnaldo Caraballo, Alison Clayton (4.0), Brittany Culver, Ashtean Goff (4.0), Chase Gray (4.0), Mia Harrison (4.0), Alex Lovelace, Brooklyn Palmer, Kierra Phillips (4.0), Patricia Roberts, Ethan Rogers (4.0), Melinna Shepherd (4.0), Kathryn Sims (4.0), Stacey Stewart, Kristian Sullivan (4.0), Aleacha Taylor (4.0), Kaitlyn Wilson (4.0);
PERRYVILLE — Skylar Clark (4.0);
POTEAU — Jennifer Ocampo;
POTTSVILLE — Debbie Blalock (4.0), Laney Rainwater;
RATCLIFF — Lauren Hice (4.0), Martha Neumeier, Marla Reardon (4.0), Ladora Smith (4.0);
ROGERS — Sydnie Harlen (4.0), Calvin Peterson, Alejandro Santoyo;
RUDY — Sierra Clayborn (4.0), Ian Rhoads (4.0), Katherine Riordan (4.0);
RUSSELLVILLE — Jaquawn Bobo, Brook Burleson (4.0), Ashley Clark, Sherri Collins (4.0), Mae Dollar (4.0), Camryn Freeman, Giselle Gutierrez Torres, Shirley Hardin (4.0), Brooklyn Hylton, Jayden Jackson, Avoree Lawton, Camden McNeese, Stacy Morton, Sarah Palmer, Anna Reece (4.0), Shelby Robinson (4.0), Gracey Sanderson, Allison Segovia-Ramos, Sarah Shepperd (4.0), Sierra Visger-Napier (4.0), Haylee Wolfe (4.0), Abigail Zachary (4.0), Reagan Zeiner (4.0);
SCRANTON — Kenji Lor;
SHERWOOD — Yuliana Gomez (4.0);
SOLGOHACHIA — Dalton Hutchins;
SPRINGDALE — Joel Mahill;
SUBIACO — Alyssa Phillips (4.0);
SULPHUR ROCK — Dustin Carter;
VAN BUREN — Logan Berna (4.0), Anastacio Castanon, Sophia Crites (4.0), John Dejarnatt (4.0), Jill Dennis (4.0), Taylor Dunn, Destiny Friddle, Ian Glassco (4.0), Matthew Henley, Hanna Humphreys (4.0), LiLeeAnna Humphries (4.0), Jaime Jasna (4.0), Tavia Jordan, Alison Leister, Ashley McCarty (4.0), Analyn Moore (4.0), Amanda Osborne, Louis Pacheco, Breanna Powell, Avey Preston (4.0), Christian Ramos-Chavez, Randall Riley (4.0), Carlos Sanabria, Camila Sligar (4.0), Sarah Swaim (4.0), Briana Trejo, Isabelle Vatthanatham (4.0), Daisy Young, Hannah Young;
WALDRON — Trevor Hunt, Justin Phangdy (4.0), Patricia Slade (4.0);
WEST FORK — Emily Lynch, Evan Mallard;
WYNNE — Brittany Hester;
KEY WEST, FLA. — William Hansen (4.0);
MULDROW, OKLA. — Josey Cline (4.0), Cornelia Irwin (4.0), Makynlee Morton (4.0), Emily Pettway (4.0), Cidney Rhodes (4.0);
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. — Hanna Ortega (4.0);
SALLISAW, OKLA. — Jennifer Currie;
SPIRO, OKLA. — Frankie Solomon;
LYNCHBURG, VA. — Gracie Peter (4.0).
Dog owners willing to pay more for food labeled for certain health attributes
By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
As owners humanize their pets and prove more willing to pay a premium for foods labeled to address pet health, a new study explores which pet health concerns bring the highest prices.
The study recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics examines numerous health attributes for dog food to determine which are associated with higher prices. The study may offer guidance for not just pet food companies, but for pet food buyers as well.
“Trends like premiumization and humanization have made pet owners more aware of the health and safety of their pets’ food in an attempt to keep their pets healthy and happy,” the study said. “Premiumization refers to customers demanding more premium and super-premium products, while humanization involves owners perceiving and treating pets as human family members.”
“Pets have gone from being in the doghouse to being a member of the family, so when it comes to the diet of the pet, that’s a big way in which that bond manifests,” said Andrew Anderson, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas and for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Amid these trends, the pet food industry grew from $65.9 billion in 2012 to $123.6 billion in 2022, the study said, quoting figures from Statista. The United States’ pet food market is the largest global pet food market and contributor to the global sales total, generating $53.04 billion in revenue in 2022.
In response, the pet food industry is supplying foods that have claims that sound a lot like what we see in specialty foods for humans, he added.
Anderson teamed up with Lonnie Hobbs Jr., an assistant professor in the agricultural economics department at Kansas State University, to investigate the effects of health and wellness attributes on product pricing, and the amount that owners are willing to pay for those attributes. Hobbs and Anderson earned their doctorates at Kansas State in 2023, bouncing study ideas off each other between pickup basketball games. Anderson had data on dog food. Hobbs had delved into the market space. They saw a gap in existing literature on potential value of health and wellness attributes.
Starting with information on 1,268 dry dog food products listed at Chewy.com in January 2023, the researchers used a pricing model that allowed them to analyze prices by attributes only, so factors such as the pet food brand could be omitted to deter bias.
Anderson and Hobbs analyzed more than 60 brands of dry dog food, which they chose to study because dry food has the highest market share among all other pet food markets globally.
Allergies and digestion
From the data gathered, the three most common health-related features marketed on dry dog food included “digestive health,” “skin coat health” and “immune support.” The three least common were “allergy relief,” “itch redness remedy” and “appetite stimulation.”
Products labeled “allergy relief,” had the highest average price per pound — $3.89 — which Anderson said could be due to the addition of an antihistamine to support the health-attribute claim.
Foods labeled for “weight management,” were next at $3.52 per pound. Food labeled for “sensitive skin” and “sensitive digestion” were both $3.19 per pound.
The authors noted that except for “weight management,” the attributes with the highest average price per pound have a relatively low number of observations — 6 percent or less of the products — which may warrant cautious interpretation, Anderson said, since the sample size for those products is small.
Highs and lows
The group fetching the highest mean price per pound included the following attributes: “allergy relief,” “appetite stimulation,” “digestive health,” “heart care,” “sensitive digestion,” “sensitive skin” and “weight management.”
On the other hand, the lowest mean per pound price were for these products: “dental breath care” at $2.63 per pound, “muscle care” at $2.72 per pound and “immune support” at $2.74 per pound.
While the study doesn’t specifically show whether the premiums and discounts are related to supply or demand side factors, there are some threads the researchers can tease out from the data that provide clues.
“The sensitive digestion attribute, for example, is in 24 percent of the products but it also commands a 3.7 percent premium,” Anderson said. “When you think about demand, that’s kind of a proxy for that high quantity and price, so to me that sounds a lot like a demand-driven attribute, whereas allergy relief is only in 2 percent of the products, and it commands a very large 17 percent premium. So, it’s not definitive, but it is likely more of a supply side factor in that case.”
When you see a high quantity and high price, as opposed to a low quantity and high price, you start thinking “demand,” Anderson explained.
Pet health and buyer behavior
In the pet food market, health and wellness products are becoming increasingly important in shaping customer purchasing behaviors. Anderson and Hobbs pointed to recent studies in the United States and the United Kingdom showing dogs are overweight or have at least one health disorder including dental, skin or intestinal issues.
Citing the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s 2022 study, 59 percent of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese. It was a 3 percent jump from 2018. The UK study took a random sample of more than 22,000 dogs from 784 veterinary clinics and found that nearly 66 percent of dogs had at least one health disorder.
Marketing info
For a marketer, Hobbs said the results could be used to see how frequently a health attribute is included, and what its price point is, to gauge the product’s demand. Manufacturers might also evaluate product development strategies that combine multiple premium-associated attributes, Hobbs said. For instance, the significant premiums associated with both “allergy relief” and “sensitive digestion” suggest potential opportunities in specialized formulations addressing multiple health concerns.
However, the price discounts associated with certain health claims like “dental care” suggest these features may be better positioned as complementary attributes rather than primary product attributes, Anderson added.
Customer benefits
The findings may benefit pet food buyers as well, Anderson said, by offering detailed information on pricing and health attributes. For example, while “allergy relief” products command higher prices, pet food buyers can evaluate whether these specialized formulations address their pet’s specific needs. Conversely, products with “dental care” features may offer high-value opportunities despite being only marketed as such.
Using filters available with online shopping platforms, Hobbs said pet food buyers can make faster comparisons between products by identifying which product attributes they want at the price point desired and read customer reviews.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
