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Seattle barely makes “top 20” list of most dog-friendly cities

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Seattle eked out a tie for 19th on a list of “most dog-friendly cities in America,” according to SmartAsset, a financial technology company.

The company based its rankings on seven metrics using an analysis of data for 100 of the largest cities in America. Criteria included:

  • Dog parks per 100,000 residents
  • Dog-friendly restaurants
  • Dog-friendly shopping centers
  • Median home value
  • Average annual days of precipitation
  • Walk Score
  • Concentration of pet stores and veterinary offices

Tucson, Arizona topped the list followed by runners-up Las Vegas, Nevada and Madison, Wisconsin, which tied. Rounding out the top five were Albuquerque, New Mexico and Portland, Oregon.

Six of the top 11 cities in the study are in the West.

Dog parks were double-weighted. Among the top 20 cities, Boise had the highest number with 6.0 per 100,000 residents, followed by Portland at 5.8. Seattle lagged with only 1.9 dog parks per 100,000 residents.

Researchers said the average number of pet stores and veterinary offices across all 100 cities in the study is approximately 57 per 10,000 establishments. Seattle surpassed that with just under 64.

Tucson’s first-place ranking was aided by relatively high scores for number of dog-friendly restaurants, concentration of pet stores and vet offices, and low number of days with precipitation.

As part of its study, SmartAsset cited American Pet Products Association (APPA) research on consumer expenditures for pets and noted the popularity of dogs as pets. An estimated 63.4 million households own a dog, according to APPA. The trade group said Americans spent $95.7 billion on their pets in 2019, with nearly $37 billion going toward pet food and treats, and more than $29 billion spent on vet care and product sales.

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