Dogtown USA 2005

Dog Fancy Magazine

August 5, 2005

By Kyra Kirkwood

Open space. Good health care. Easy access to top medical professionals. Entertainment options galore. These are all important aspects when choosing a place to live—even if you're a dog.

For the first time, Dog Fancy Magazine surveyed nominated locales across the nation to determine the dog-friendliest city in America—Dogtown USA. From distance to the nearest vet college to spay and neuter rates, dog-park amenities to animal-friendly cafes, various aspects of canine health and well-being were researched, ranked and rated.

Don't fret if your town isn't listed. In many cases, you have the power to help make your city a better place for your canine companion. Because, as Dorothy reminded Toto in "The Wizard of Oz," there's no place like home.

And here are our top 10 picks for the best places to live if you're a dog.

DOGTOWN USA

No. 1

Chicago, Ill.

The best dog city: Chicago, Ill. Home of the Bears, Sears Tower, Oprah and more dog-friendly activities and resources than you can shake a stick at. As political commentator H.L. Mencken once said, Chicago "is alive from snout to tail." It may be a big city—population 2.88 million—but the down-home Midwestern atmosphere doesn't escape this metropolis.

"Chicago, in some ways, is like a small town," says Steve Dale, host of WGN radio show "Pet Central" and author of "Doggone Chicago: Sniffing Out the Best Places to Take Your Best Friend." "And we're nice people. And we all know that nice people have nice dogs."

This municipality boasts of numerous dog-friendly cafes, bars and restaurants, like Brasserie Jo, that cater to patrons and their four-legged pals. A canine boat cruise, through Mercury Skyline Cruiseline, is a very popular activity for Chicagoans. Pups can even partake in hot dogs and White Sox baseball one afternoon a year at U.S. Cellular Field's annual Dog Day. The numerous dog parks, like Wiggly Field Dog Park, are a boon to the 600,000 dogs living in Chicago. They're also welcome on leash in the city's sprawling public parks, like Grant Park, home to the famous Buckingham Fountain. This fall, canines visiting dog parks will be required to wear identification that certifies they have been seen by a vet and received their vaccinations in an effort to keep diseases at bay.

Speaking of healthcare, up to 90% of owners participate in vaccination programs, and a large percentage of dogs are spayed or neutered. The city is very pro-active regarding overpopulation problems; A low-cost spay/neuter clinic—with Pit Bulls done for free—is one way Chicago reaches out to its residents, as is adoption awareness and education.

"People have embraced the concept of having a shelter animal as saving a life," says Gene Mueller, DVM, president of the Anti-Cruelty Society, also known as the Illinois SPCA. He adds that only two percent of owners turn their pets in to shelters. "We're not interested in merely processing animals and putting them out on the street."

Scores of behaviorists and dog trainers populate the city, giving owners vast resources, like the Anti-Cruelty Society's free behavior hotline. The vet-to-dog ratio is outstanding: 1 vet to every 368 dogs. The 100-plus specialists in Chicago handle everything from cardiology to radiology. Veterinary students even provide medical assistance at shelters and free/low-cost clinics. For those who need more advanced care, the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine is about two hours away, providing state-of-the-art medical treatment and equipment.

But what sets Chicago apart isn't just its amenities, but rather the attitude of the residents.

"It's the diversity of people and their interest in having loving relationships with other living beings. That being dogs," says Mueller. "Being able to have an open, engaged relationship with your furry friend is one of the most amazing things. It's an expansion of the nuclear family."

New York City

Dogtown USA Top 10

Dogs in the Big Apple live the sweet life, with many restaurants, shops and parks open to their pleasure. In fact, before 9 a.m., the king of all parks—Central Park—is one giant off-leash playground for the 1.5 million pups in residence. Many hotels even offer room service and spa-like perks to canines. But what sets New York City apart from the pack is its ceaseless and fast-paced push to fight needless euthanasia and overpopulation. And it's drive to become no-kill by 2009.

Last year, New York City lowered its euthanasia rate by 17 percent, and another 25 percent in the first five months of 2005.

"We hope at the end of the year that we reduce it another 25 percent," says Ed Boks, executive director of New York City Animal Care and Control, the organization responsible for the city's municipal shelter system and rescuing/adopting out homeless animals.

The city educates residents about sterilization, pet responsibility and adoption, which has seen groundbreaking increases.

"New Yorkers are getting energized and excited about ending pet euthanasia as a way of controlling pet overpopulation," says Boks. "There seems to be an excitement, a synergy in the air, that this is an achievable goal, a light at the end of the tunnel. As an entire community, [New York] has really gotten behind this concept. It's an amazing community effort to achieve this no-kill goal."

A community program called Operation Safety Net helps people find resources enabling them to keep instead of surrender their dogs. Teach Love and Compassion combines training, literacy and inner-city students; while Special Treatment and Recovery (STAR), encourages veterinarians to provide pro-bono or low-cost care for injured rescues.

"New York City is such a city with a heart," says Boks. "There's no problem that can't be overcome. New York City, from the top down, is a pet-friendly town."

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dogtown USA Top 10

New Mexico may be a vast land of stunning vistas, gorgeous mountains and the winding beauty of the Rio Grande. But it's also home to Albuquerque and some of the most pro-active city officials around.

Meet Sally Mayer, city councilor for District 7. Since being elected, she has been instrumental in reforming the city's mindset into a compassionate and humanitarian one for dogs. With the support of other officials like Mayor Martin Chavez, Mayer has a mission.

"They always talk about politicians having their pet projects. And mine is," she says.

Approximately $200,000 is budgeted annually for spay/neuter clinics; Mayer is fighting for $500,000. She also proposed changes to the city's animal ordinance, the Albuquerque HEART Ordinance (Humane, Ethical Animal Responsibility and Treatment). Revisions would require that dogs be harnessed, not loose or wearing a neck collar, in the back of a pickup truck. Shade and shelter will be mandatory, and chaining will only be permitted for one hour a day instead of the previous rule of eight hours. This later fact makes Mayer glow with pride.

More evidence of Albuquerque's dog-friendly lawmakers: the Safe Haven law. This requires that all animals, unless very sick or aggressive, will be kept for at least two weekends at the shelter to increase their possibilities of adoption.

"We just have to give them a fair chance," says Mayer.

Which they do at televised council meetings. Adult dogs from the shelter are brought in and paraded around before the cameras, and every one has been adopted, says Mayer.

Although she began rolling this giant ball, Mayer credits her fellow residents with keeping the momentum going.

"Our goal is to be the most humane city in the country," she says. "We have a community here that really wants to support life with your dogs. A quality life for dogs."

One thing Albuquerque's elected officials did not control: the weather, which is responsible for the city's nearly nonexistent flea population.

Long Beach, Calif.

Dogtown USA Top 10 -- Best Community Activist

Justin Rudd is a prime example of the difference one person can make. This community activist is the executive director of the non-profit Community Action Team and its Haute Dog organization, the premier dog-event organization in Southern California. In an effort to spend more quality time with his beloved Bulldog Rosie, Rudd created neighborhood events for other dog lovers. What began as drinks and dog walks soon morphed into city-wide events that attract thousands throughout Los Angeles County. Highlights include the fundraising Haute Dog Easter Parade and the Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade, the Bulldog Beauty Contest, the interfaith blessing of the animals, Operation Santa Paws (to collect toys and treats for the 4,000 shelter dogs in and around the county) and a planned Canine Cotillion fundraiser for owners to "present" their pups to society.

"I try to give people the opportunity…to get involved with their pet," Rudd says.

He's very proud of creating the only off-leash dog beach in Los Angeles County, the three-acre Dog Beach Zone. Rudd found a city loophole that allowed dogs off-leash during special events, so he created some special events at the beach. And 400-500 dogs showed up each time. The dog beach was approved by the city last year as a full-time, off-leash park.

"In this day and age, it's like, what rights can we take away from dog owners? But we've added something here," Rudd says. "We're helping to build our sense of community in Long Beach. You see your dog run around and have fun…These are our kids and we now have fun and interesting things to do with them. We're showing them off like they should be shown off."

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Dogtown USA Top 10 -- Best Large-Population Beach City

The off-leash dog beach, Arroyo Burro Beach, stretches for more than two miles down California's central coast. Hiking trails along Santa Barbara's famous cliffs are other attractions of this popular beach city. Then there's the Big Dog Parade and Canine Festival, which has pets and their people strutting down State Street, all decked out in their costume finest. The Douglas Family Preserve, a 70-acre city park/open space area with amazing views, is located just above Arroyo Burro Beach. The shops along State Street, the boardwalk along the beach, the many cafes with outdoor dining tables, the year-round temperate climate, the absence of most canine diseases like Parvo, the outdoorsy lifestyle of its residents—all of these add up to the city's coastal charm.

"Santa Barbara welcomes dogs and their owners who are encouraged by the city and it's businesses to dine on restaurant patios together, shop downtown together, and take strolls on our many dog-friendly parks and beaches together," says Jamie Gilles, marketing associate for Big Dogs in Santa Barbara. "You can't walk in downtown Santa Barbara without enjoying the company of our fabulous pooches."