Owning an animal brings everlasting joy to many people around the U.S. Unfortunately adding a four-legged member to the family can be expensive and bills can add up to anywhere from $227 to more than $2,000 a year depending on the animal owned.
With National Homeless Animals Day just over a week away, WalletHub conducted an in-depth study into 2017’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities, and two Florida cities made the top five.
Tampa came in ranked as the third most pet-friendly city in the U.S. and Orlando came in fifth.
For the study, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of 100 of the largest cities in the U.S. across 21 key metrics broken up in pet budget, pet health & wellness, and outdoor pet-friendliness. Some of the data collected ranged from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability.
While Tampa and Orlando topped the list, St. Petersburg (13th) and Miami (20th) also made the top 50. Miami was the number one city for most veterinarians per capita, and Orlando was fourth.
The pet world has come a long way over the years. Today there are nearly 85 million pet parents in the U.S. who seek places their four-legged friends can accompany them to, and Tampa and Orlando offer exactly that.
Orlando tied for first for most pet-friendly restaurants per capita. Places like Rock and Brews, Barley & Vine Biergarten and Teak Neighborhood Grill are just a few of the restaurants and pubs in Orlando that allow dogs or have dog-friendly patios.
Over in Tampa, there are many pet-friendly parks including Davis Island Dog Beach, Logan Gate Dog Park and Picnic Island Dog Park.
Other Florida cities that made the list of most pet-friendly cities included Jacksonville (56th) and Hialeah (75th).