What Cities Encourage Living with Canine Companions?

A former Dog Fancy magazine editor, free-lance writer Susan Chaney, headed up an annual crusade to discover the most dog friendly cities in the United States. Her search resulted in choosing 40 cities as the most congenial for adding a canine to the citizenry.

What Determines A Dog Friendly City?

Chaney's team used a detailed list of criteria to determine how a city would fare in the voting for top U.S. city to welcome canine companions.

Points were awarded to cities for extensive veterinary care and associated agencies like dog training facilities. Those with dog parks and good shelter adoption rates went higher on the voting scale.

Canine licensing policies were under scrutiny as well. Cities with businesses and restaurants that welcome canines inside earned more points.

Activities for regular citizens -- Homo sabiens -- got high ratings for those cities that allow dog companions to accompany their owners in such day-time get-aways as walking in downtown areas, hiking and water cruising, and beach play.

Twenty-four hour veterinary availability for emergencies, close-by veterinary schools, and holistic veterinary care facilities, as well as pet supply outlets earned points for the cities on the best forty list.

Second Twenty Cities That Allow Canines To Join Citizenry

Chaney's team learned that Waukesha, Wisconsin is the home of Petlicious Dog Biscuit Bakery. That enterprise sponsors festivities geared specifically to dogs and their owners and serves Petlicious treats.

Waukesha, Wisconsin is No.40 in Dog Fancy magazine's article entitled "Atlas A-list", by Susan Chaney.

City No.37, Sanford, Florida, gathers in the dog-human populace with monthly "Yappy Hour" socials and grooming sessions sponsored by Paw Park Place, which grew up near the dog park citizens worked to attain. The park is called Paw Park of Historic Sanford.

Here are the other eight cities on the lowest tier of the Top Forty best citified places to own a canine companion:

No.39 -- Seattle, Washington
No.38 -- Santa Barbara, California
No.36 -- Raleigh, North Carolina
No.35 -- Portland, Oregon
No.34 -- Phoenix, Arizona
No.33 -- Park City, Utah
No.32 -- Palo Alto, California
No.31 -- Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Helena, Montana (No.24) Kennel Club sees to it that dogs play a vital part among their citizenry by sponsoring several canine-oriented challenges. The kennel spreads the news of dog responsibility by holding classes for owners and their dogs, rewarding a prospective veterinarian student with a scholarship, and donating necessities to their area humane society.

Following are the remaining nine cities on the second lowest tier of Top Forty canine-welcoming cities:

No.30 -- Long Beach, California
No.29 -- Iowa City, Iowa
No.28 -- Huntington Beach, California
No.27 -- Hampstead, Maryland
No.26 -- Fort Collins, Colorado
No.25 -- Fargo, North Dakota
No.23 -- Coral Springs, Florida
No.22 -- Colorado Springs, Colorado
No.21 -- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Ohio Not On List of Top Dog Cities

Ohio, where citizens continue to petition legislators for stronger anti-animal cruelty laws, did not place a city on the Top Forty best places to enjoy canine companionship.

/Resource: Dog Fancy magazine, issue September, 2010/