Shade unleashed on Hub, the worst American city for pets: report

With over 86.9 million U.S. pet-owning households projected to spend $150.6 billion this year on their animal companions, the personal finance website WalletHub on Tuesday released an in-depth report on 2024's Most and Least Pet-Friendly Cities, as well as expert commentary, to determine where Americans' animal companions can enjoy the best quality of life without their owners breaking the bank.

WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest cities across 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from veterinarian costs to the number of pet businesses per capita to walkability.

Key Stats

• Columbus, Ohio, has the lowest average veterinary care costs (annual exam), which is 2.4 times lower than in Plano, Texas, the city with the highest.
• Fort Wayne, Indiana, has the lowest monthly dog-insurance premium, which is 3.3 times lower than in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, the cities with the highest.
• Scottsdale, Arizona, has the most pet businesses (per square root of the population), which is 8.2 times more than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the fewest.

To view the full report and your city's rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562


Expert Commentary

What tips do you have for individuals and families looking to own pets without breaking the bank?

"People can start by rescuing, not buying, companion animals, as they often come with spaying/neutering and some vaccinations included. You also do not want to deal with a pregnant dog or cat and then have more animals to feed or find homes for, so spaying and neutering is important. You do want to feed them high-quality food to keep them healthy, so that will be the highest ongoing expense but should pay off in fewer health problems potentially. Find a good vet clinic nearby that you can trust and do regular annual visits to make sure they are healthy, and you can head off any potential diseases or problems early on. I found that in the beginning with my dog, I spent too much money on training, toys, leashes, collars, sweaters, and bow ties, but really, he does not appreciate them and we do not need very much - just a well-fitting harness, an adjustable leash, a few collars to fit various occasions (with IDs on them), a raincoat, old tennis balls, a Kong, and a few chew toys. I also adopted a dog that does not need grooming (besides nail trims), or you can learn to do the grooming yourself. I would also say that if you have a strong community of family, friends, and neighbors who can help you watch your companion on long workdays or out-of-town trips, that would be a big savings and make you feel much better knowing who is caring for your furry/feathered/finned friend when you are gone."
Carrie P. Freeman, Ph.D. - Professor, Georgia State University

"Owning pets is not an expensive proposition, really. Shop the internet for good prices, and you can provide everything your dog or cat needs without a giant impact to your budget - *and* the value of having pets more than pays for whatever they cost."
Bruce Wagman - Adjunct Professor, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; Adjunct Professor, University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Law, Animal Law


Why is pet ownership in the U.S. declining?

"Expenses/costs of pet ownership, incompatibility with long work hours, restrictions in apartment developments, etc., dog rescue restrictions. During covid people adopted pets because they were home and when they went back to work gave up their pets - heartbreaking and callous."
Diane M. Sullivan - Assistant Dean & Professor of Law, Massachusetts School of Law at Andover

"It is no coincidence that pet ownership is declining while shelter intake and euthanasia are increasing. According to Shelter Animals Count, shelter intakes increased each year from 2020 to 2022, with dog intake making up the majority of that increase. As with most societal phenomena, there are likely several contributing factors, including unavailability of spay/ neuter services early in the pandemic, and many people rushing to buy a dog when they were quarantining at home. Probably the largest factor for the decrease in pet ownership and consequent increase in shelter intake is economic. Many people simply cannot afford the cost of food and veterinary care necessary to keep a pet, particularly for dogs. There are very few truly low-cost places to get veterinary care if your pet requires more than simple vaccines. There are pet food pantries available for owners struggling to feed their pets but, even if they are available in your area, they are occasional and not sufficient to feed your pet(s) long term. Also, with more demand for rental housing, landlords can make it difficult or impossible to get an apartment if you have a pet, particularly a larger dog resulting in more owners surrendering dogs for housing reasons."
Penny C. Ellison - Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Founder of Animal Advocacy Academy


What measures can local authorities take in order to make their cities more pet-friendly?

"Spay-neuter requirements to reduce overpopulation. Support and encourage 'community cat programs' such as trap-neuter-release and return-to-field to protect lifesaving efforts of shelters and humane advocates. Limit restrictions on pets in rental properties, while considering the interests of the landlords and the tenants. Prohibit breed restrictions."
Bruce Wagman - Adjunct Professor, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco; Adjunct Professor, University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Law, Animal Law

"Fund a thriving rescue and homeless animal sheltering system with lots of staff and volunteers to socialize and train the nonhuman animals (and train animal guardians in good caretaking). Provide free spay/neuter and low-cost vaccinations to those of us at a certain income threshold and allow unclaimed animals to remain sheltered (or fostered) for months, not just a week or two before euthanasia... Ban the sale and breeding of any animals for profit... Fund safe and shaded (tree-lined) exercise opportunities for humans and their companion animals in lots of pedestrian-friendly parks for animals on leashes and a variety of off-leash dog parks within walking distance to major residential areas. Do not be overly restrictive in food safety requirements for businesses that they then become unfriendly for people out with/traveling with their dogs, forcing people to leave them at home or in the car. Allow leashed dogs and cats (or other small animal species in crates) on public transport or in Uber, Lyft, and taxis so people can travel with their companion animals as needed... Encourage more rental housing (and hotels) to enable people to live with companion animals and not be price-gouged by landlords with high pet fees (limit the pet fee rates)... Create resilient city infrastructure that does not have dark asphalt that burns paws, and instead has lots of green and light surfaces and plenty of trees for shade, and free drinking water fountains all around that also include the dog bowl at the bottom."
Carrie P. Freeman, Ph.D. - Professor, Georgia State University With over 86.9 million U.S. pet-owning households projected to spend $150.6 billion this year on their animal companions, the personal finance website WalletHub today released an in-depth report on 2024's Most Pet-Friendly Cities, as well as expert commentary, to determine where Americans' animal companions can enjoy the best quality of life without their owners breaking the bank.