Where Are the Best Cities to Travel with Your Dog? A New Analysis Provides the Answers
When pet owners go out of town, there’s often a little guilt involved in leaving their furry friends behind. Many people get around this by bringing their dogs with them, and some places do make it easy to bring your pup along. A new analysis has determined which cities are the best at this.
Tractor Supply Company, a rural lifestyle retailer that offers a variety of products including those for our pets, recently looked at 50 cities across the U.S. to see which are the most dog-friendly vacation destinations. To gauge this, they focused largely on dog-friendly hotels: how many there are, which percentage of the city’s hotels welcome dogs, what their reviews are, and how much they cost. They also looked at the number of dog-friendly restaurants, dog parks, dog-friendly activities, 24-hour vets, and dog sitters that offer doggy day care.
Based on these metrics, Tractor Supply determined that Tampa, Florida, is the friendliest to traveling pups. It had an overall score of 83.1.
The analysis says, “Tampa, Florida is a haven for dog-friendly amenities. With an impressive 264 dog-friendly hotels, you and your furry companion are guaranteed to find a comfortable spot to unwind. The average review score of 8.31 is a testament to the delightful experiences fellow dog lovers have had in this sunny city, reassuring you of a pleasant stay.”
Following Tampa was Austin, Texas, which has 389 dog-friendly hotels, or about 52% of the city’s hotels overall, along with 513 dog-friendly restaurants and 12 dog parks. Rounding out the top three was Portland, Oregon, where 52% of hotels – or 108 – are dog-friendly, and there are 33 dog parks and 33 24-hour vets.
The other top 10 cities, in order, were Miami, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; Nashville, Tennessee; and Washington, D.C.
Tractor Supply also offers some packing tips. Those include making sure you have enough food and water for the duration of the trip, including extra in case of any unexpected events; using kibble or freeze-dried food for convenience; sticking to your pup’s feeding schedule as much as possible; and bringing treats for your furry friend.
For more tips on dog travel, including the top hotel chains for pups, click here!
Michelle has a journalism degree and has spent more than seven years working in broadcast news. She's also been known to write some silly stuff for humor websites. When she's not writing, she's probably getting lost in nature, with a fully-stocked backpack, of course.