Best Things About the Best Ten Cities to Live with a Dog

Virginia and Wisconsin are on the board in the Top Ten Best Cities for Dogs. And the rest are in the west. California leads the best ten with four cities in the top ten count.

But the champ is Massachusetts.

What's Best About Best Five Cities in the U.S. for Dog Living

In one through five in the list of best cities to live with a furry friend of the canine persuasion, what's to like? The persuasion follows:

No. 1 -- Provincetown, Massachusetts
-- open businesses that welcome dogs with biscuits and water
-- Pilgrim Bark Park
-- dog worthy water sports and activities
-- nearly 100 percent adoption rate at Brewster dog shelter
-- 551 canines live among 2,997 people

No. 2 -- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
-- home of dog lover Doris Day's historic Cypress Inn
-- an open mile of coastline for dogs
-- 50,000 canines visit; 900 live year round

No. 3 -- Madison, Wisconsin
-- 15 year-round dog parks
-- 120 miles of walking paths
-- University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

No. 4 -- Benicia, California
-- eight available veterinarians
-- sponsored dog walks
-- training classes available
-- canine competitions
-- the dog rights group Canine Coalition is in the building
-- 2,000 dogs with lots of space

No. 5 -- Fort Bragg, California
-- about one dog to every one human lives here
-- 22 hotels allow furry citizens to stay over
-- all restaurant outside tables allow canines to sit
-- Cairn Terrier Hairy Putter's blog keeps information about interesting activities flowing

Best Six Through Ten List for Doggie Benefits

The second five of ten best cities for doggiedom are not outdone by their top rated mates. Number Ten may be the human-friendliest of all the Top Ten cities for canines, and a South Dakota city has miles of dog-run range.

No. 6 -- Lincoln City, Oregon
-- citizens work to keep county shelter open
-- seven miles of coastline open to furry invaders
-- 3,000 dogs among 8,200 humans

No. 7 -- San Diego, California
-- 300,000 canine pals live here
-- community-oriented San Diego Humane Society
-- active preventive canine care including spaying and neutering

No. 8 -- Virginia Beach, Virginia
-- best big city with best licensing program
-- summer fest K-9 Karnival
-- Woofstock is a vaccinaton and adoption drive
-- 48,710 woofers in residence

No. 9 -- Sioux Falls, South Dakota
-- lots of parks, lots of doggie space
-- (another) annual Woofstock fest
-- dogs get the run of the community pool at summer's end

No.10 -- Salem, Oregon
-- all friendly community that welcomes dogs
-- modern Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine 40 miles away

There are thirty other especially dog friendly cities in the United States as rated by Dog Fancy magazine's September 2010 issue in an article entitled "Atlas A-list", by Susan Chaney.