Denver and Colorado have frequently ranked high on lists of the most dog-friendly cities and states in recent years, due in part to our growing number of dog parks and doggie boutiques, and the affordable cost of owning a pooch here.
Do we like our dogs at farmer’s markets? It’s really a city-by-city case, . Do we have plenty of pet-friendly hotels? Why yes, we do — .
Just this year, Denver in particular has gotten positive feedback for its overall dog-friendliness, including surveys from the dog-centric community website (which ranked us No. 1) and financial consulting company (No. 3). It’s enough to warrant Visit Denver, the city’s tourism arm, to compile a list of dog-friendly parks, walks and downtown Denver hotels at .
But we’re also seeing things like this month’s WalletHub study, which snubbed every Colorado city except Colorado Springs on its list of the (where the Springs came in seventh place). A relatively robust from apartment rental website Zumper.com also put Denver in 13th place, and Aurora in a lowly 30th place.
Granted, most of these lists are thinly disguised marketing blasts for whatever business is attached to them. (We’ve gotten so many that we compiled our own ).
But it’s with some satisfaction that on Friday, Aug. 26 — a.k.a. — we’re embracing a slightly more legit study that thinks Denver is still a pretty great place for pooches.
This week’s survey, from dating website Match.com, has named Colorado the No. 1 most dog-loving state in the U.S., according to internal data.
If you’re on the market, that can bear directly on your chances: that fully one-third of its users are dog lovers, and that women are 20 percent more attached to men who have a dog. Additionally, dog lovers are contacted more on Match than cat lovers by 10 percent.
Some more stats from Match:
- Top 5 Dog Loving States:
1. Colorado
2. New Hampshire
3. Vermont
4. Minnesota
5. Washington - Owners with these dog breeds have the most success:
Straight males – Golden Retriever
Straight females – Bulldog
Gay males – Spaniel
Lesbians – Mutt - Top 5 dog breeds mentioned on Match profiles:
1. Golden Retriever 23 percent
2. Labrador Retriever 20.60 percent
3. Terrier 9.45 percent
4. Boxer 6.72 percent
5. Bulldog 6.32 percent
National Dog Day, which was by animal advocate Colleen Paige, is a worthy excuse to push dog-friendly legislation, remind people of the importance of shelter adoptions and other such canine concerns.
Check out its official website at for dozens more ideas on how to celebrate.
