Windy City Wins Best in Show

USA -- Earlier this year, Dog Fancy Magazine announced its intention to sniff out the dog-friendliest city in the U.S., and it was just announced the city of Chicago has won it by a nose.

Chicago, with more than 600,000 dogs, earned top dog status as the best place to live if you're a dog, based on numerous criteria, such as veterinarian-to-dog ratio, preventive care participation, percentage of spayed/neutered pets, dog-friendly businesses and the existence of a leash law.

"Chicago is honored to be named the best Dog Town in the United States," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "We strive to make Chicago a city that has a great quality of life for all of our residents."

Other cities that made the top 10 are: Albuquerque, N.M.; Coral Springs, Fla.; Bellingham, Wash.; Houston; Austin, Texas; Long Beach, Calif.; New York City; Richmond, Va.; and Santa Barbara, Calif.

"Dogtown USA's goal is to bring attention to what dogs need to live well," said Susan Chaney, editor of Dog Fancy. "These 10 cities have such great amenities for dogs that it made the final decision a tough one."

To crown the Windy City, Dog Fancy editors traveled to Chicago over the weekend to present its Dogtown USA plaque. In addition, Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS), a local shelter and adoption agency, received $3,500 in merchandise provided by major sponsors such as Nestle Purina, VPI Pet Insurance, Deramaxx, Nutri-Vet Nutritionals, Wahl Clipper Corporation, Soft Claws and Flexi-Mat Corporation.

Dog Fancy first created Dogtown USA in honor of its 35th year of publication. It sent a call for entries to readers, inviting them to nominate their selections for the dog-friendliest city in the U.S. Researchers then investigated and analyzed the 101 reader-nominated cities, looking at:

-- Percentage of spayed/neutered -- No breed-specific legislation
pets -- Humane society or ASPCA in the
-- Availability of healthcare city or just outside city limits
(daily, emergency, veterinary -- Owner surrender rate
college teaching hospitals) -- Efforts to reduce euthanasia
-- Preventive care participation rates
-- Existence of safe, off-leash -- Dog-friendly activities,
areas, such as dog parks restaurants, businesses, and
-- Pro-dog legislation rental housing
-- Existence of a leash law -- Availability of dog trainers,
-- Existence of a dog-licensing behaviorists, and training
law schools.


How Chicago Stacked Up

Chicago did particularly well with its pet-to-vet ratio (one vet to 368 dogs), preventive care participation (90 percent of owners have their dogs vaccinated), plethora of medical specialists, and overall numbers of pet- friendly businesses and restaurants.

"From Wiggley Field to Montrose Beach, Chicago really stands out with its dog-friendly attitude," said Chaney.

About Dog Fancy

Dog Fancy is the world's most widely read dog magazine and is devoted to the care and enjoyment of all dogs, purebreds and mixed breeds alike. Dog Fancy's goal is to educate, enlighten and entertain readers, providing them with accessible information needed to be responsible dog owners.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050928/cgw025.html?.v=28