Americans love their pets, in fact, they loved them to the tune of $104 billion in 2020.
There are around 48 million pet dogs in the U.S., 25 million pet cats, 2.8 million pet birds and about 700,000 horses, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Other pets include fish, ferrets, rabbits, reptiles, pet livestock (we’re talking goats, pigs and sheep, right?) and pet poultry (that’s chickens and such).
Pets cost money, even if you don’t indulge them with fancy restaurant lunches or spa treatments. Basic expenses for a dog add up to nearly $1,400 annually and about $1,150 for a cat, according to the ASPCA. And that doesn’t include other costs such as emergency vet care, training or spaying.
The first dog park in the U.S. was established in Berkeley, Calif., in 1979, and today there are as many as 774 dog parks in cities around the country, according to the Trust for Public Land, and the dog park is one of the fastest growing amenities in park systems of the largest U.S. cities.
New York has a whopping 140 dog parks, while Boise, Idaho has the most per capita, with 6.7 dog parks per 100,000 residents, according to the Trust for Public Land.
San Diego doesn’t just have several dog beaches, but also a handful of cat cafes. New Orleans has a Mardi Gras parade just for dogs. Colorado Springs, Colo., boasts a 25-acre off-leash dog park with a creek, an agility area and even a washing station for dirty dogs. And Las Vegas has more dog-friendly hotels than you can throw a stick at, some with doggy concierges and canine room service.
A doggy diner.
To find which cities are the most pet-friendly, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions:
Pet budget: this includes costs of veterinary care, pet sitting and dog insurance
Pet health and wellness, which includes the number per capita of vets, trainers, pet sitters, animal shelters, dog-friendly restaurants and shops as well as pet-friendliness of the rental market and animal protection laws;
Outdoor pet-friendliness, which includes things like weather, dog parks, dog-friendly trails and walk score.
Each city was scored on these criteria and ranked. Here are the most pet-friendly cities in America.
