Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Friendliest Cities for Pets

This seems like a pretty friendly place!
wheany (Jan-Erik Finnberg) [Flickr]
This seems like a pretty friendly place!

Where would you choose to live with your pet - small town or big city?  Wherever you go, you want your pet to be as happy there as you are!

************************

People who have pets as part of their families have a lot to think about. For example, when pet owners choose a place to live, they have to consider whether it has a suitable space for their furry friend. When they choose a veterinarian, they want one that’s good but not too expensive. And they will go out of their way to shop at a store that carries the brand of food their pet eats.

Recently WalletHub.com released the results of a study to determine which of the one hundred largest cities in the country was the most pet-friendly. They considered budget issues, health and wellness factors, and outdoor concerns, including weather and activities. They ranked the cities in each category, then combined the rankings to determine where was the best place to live with a pet.

If you’re concerned about veterinary costs, the city that has the lowest vet bills is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The highest? Nashville, Tennessee.

How about the most dog parks, per capita? That would be Portland, Oregon. Anaheim, California has the fewest dog parks per capita, but they have the highest number of pet businesses per capita.

New Orleans has a lot of pet friendly restaurants, but they came in second to San Francisco. While that city ranked highest overall in the outdoor score, it came in dead last in the budget category. The winner there was Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Scottsdale, Arizona took first place in the health and wellness division, but ranked ninety-fifth for budget.

And at the very top of the list, the title of “best city for pet lovers” goes to...Cincinnati, Ohio. It didn’t take first place in any category, but its combined total was the best.

Second place went to Las Vegas, Atlanta came in at number six, and way down at the bottom of the list of the one hundred largest cities for pet friendliness was Memphis, Tennessee.

You can find more details, and maybe see where your favorite city ranks, by visiting wallethub.com. This project shows that in our society, our animal friends are more than just part of the household; they’re part of the family, when we’re speaking of pets.

__>^..^<__

Mindy Norton has been “Speaking of Pets” on Alabama Public Radio since 1995.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.