Study ranks Scottsdale as the nation’s most pet-friendly city

PHOENIX — Scottsdale is the most pet-friendly city in the nation, according to a new study from personal finance website WalletHub.

Researchers collected the data for National Homeless Animals Day, which falls on Saturday.

They compared the “creature-friendliness” of the 100 largest cities in the United States. Twenty-three key metrics, like pet businesses per capita, determined their rankings.

Here were some of the other key metrics:

– Veterinarians per capita
– Pet businesses per capita
– Dog parks per capita
– Animal shelters per capita
– Dog-friendly restaurants per capita

Why is Scottsdale the most pet-friendly city?

WalletHub said Scottsdale has the most pet businesses compared to its population. To be specific, it has 0.49 pet businesses per square root of the population, researchers said.

Researchers also looked at veterinary care costs. They said Columbus, Ohio, is one of the cheapest cities for pet lovers going to the vet’s office.

However, those in Chicago or New York spent some of the biggest chunks of change on veterinary care costs. The other worst cities in that regard were Anchorage, Alaska, Washington, D.C., and Plano, Texas.

Speaking of cash, Scottsdale was one of the cities with the highest dog insurance premiums. It’s not as bad as New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, but it was the fifth most expensive city in that category.

Baltimore, Maryland came in dead last, as the nation’s least pet-friendly cities. Dallas was the second-least pet-friendly, while Santa Ana, Calif., was the third.