Research says Tucson ranks among best cities for dog lovers

PHOENIX — Realtor.com took a hard look at the 150 largest metro cities in the United States to find out which of them ranked as the best and worst for cats and dog lovers.

Among those 150 cities was Tucson, and the southern Arizona city ranked well for dog lovers, placing in at eighth.

The data was collected by analyzing several different factors, including pet services, veterinarians and dog walkers per capita. They also took into consideration the percentage of single-family homes on realtor.com that had dog-related home features such as doggie doors.

According to the data, there are certain geographical patterns for where dog lovers are, such as the west coast of the country, where five of the 10 cities are located.

“The West Coast is far more climatically friendly [to dogs], especially if you like going to dog parks and schmoozing with other owners every weekend, even in the winter,” says Marc Morrone, host of the now-cancelled “Petkeeping With Marc Morrone” on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. “The East Coast is freezing in the winter, and a lot of dogs don’t like to go outside in the cold city streets.”

The top five cities for dog lovers were Austin, Texas, Reno, Nev., Salinas, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Portland, Ore.

Related

Phoenix police seek public’s help for investigation into deadly hit-and-runDetours, Devils and dirndls: How to navigate Tempe closures this weekendArizona man accused of making mass bomb threat against White House, other D.C. targetsWoman dies after fire pit incident in Prescott Valley, police investigation continuesGet ready for rain! Phoenix could see its last 100-degree day before weekend stormsPhoenix freeway closures: How to steer clear of roadwork this weekend