DOG FANCY magazine (http://www.dogfancy.com) has named Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the winner of the 2011 DogTown USA competition, saluting it as America’s most dog-friendly city.
This year’s contest also named four regional winners:
· Northwest: Bend, Ore.
· Northeast: Doylestown, Pa.
· Southeast: Knoxville, Tenn.
· Southwest: Santa Cruz, Calif.
Congrats to our friends in Bend, Oregon and Santa Cruz. Uh oh, what happened to Carmel???? It did not even make it in the top five. Santa Cruz is nearby. Seems like Carmel should be at least in the top ten. But apparently the magazine did not include Carmel at all. They did not say why.
The criteria used to select the winning city included plenty of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their owners, ample veterinary care, abundant pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets.
Dog Fancy editors traveled to Coeur d’Alene to present the city with this top honor and present $5,000 to the Kootenai County Dog Park Association. Additionally, Natural Balance Pet Foods will donate 1,000 pet food meals to Kootenai Humane Society on behalf of Coeur d’Alene, and 500 pet food meals to each of the regional winners.
For the complete story on DogTown USA, pick up the October issue of DOG FANCY (http://www.facebook.com/DogFancy), on newsstands August 23, 2011.
Labor Day weekend is almost here, so a good place to visit with your pooch(es) would be Santa Cruz. Sun, sand and fur.
More about Santa Cruz:
Dog Off Leash areas
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=934
Hikes with dogs in Santa Cruz county
http://www.naturedogs.com/hike.php?id=59
Dogs parks
Dine and shop with dogs and more
Charmer of the week from the SPCA in Santa Cruz (good karma to adopt not shop)
http://www.santacruzspca.org/
Stumble It!
Have dog blog will travel 