These two Dyson Animal vacuum cleaners are designed for pet hair cleanup, they seem similar, you can read the comparison below and get some of the differences between DC17 and DC28 Animal.

Dyson DC17 Animal versus DC28 Animal
images from manufacturer

Tools
DC17 comes with a mini turbine head, carpet care kit, and low reach floor tool, whereas DC28 comes with a mini turbine head, Flat Out head, combination accessory tool, stair tool.

Suction Power
DC17 has a suction power of 220 air watts while DC28 has 245 air watts.

Pet Hair Cleanup
Some customers said that DC17 does a better job picking up pet hair from carpets.

Airmuscle Technology
DC28 features Airmuscle technology which is useful for cleaning every floor type where DC17 doesn’t.

Price
DC28 Animal is priced at $599.99 while DC17 is priced at $549.99 at Dyson.com. (prices checked on August 7, 2011)

Noise Level
The noise level of DC28 is a bit lower than the DC17.

Clog Problem
DC17 seems easier to get cloged due to its small holes around the cylinder.

Bin Capacity
DC17 has a bin capacity of 0.625 gallons while DC28 has a 0.61 gallon bin.

Weight
DC17 weighs 20.79 pounds while DC28 weighs 20.61 pounds.

Cord Length
DC17 has a cord length of 35 feet while DC28 has a 35.2 ft cord.