Tampa is the second best city for dog owners in America, according to new report

A new study from U.S. News & World Report’s 360 Reviews finds Portland, Oregon to be the top city in the U.S. to be a dog parent, followed by our own beautiful city of Tampa. Tampa has one of the highest volumes of dog parks per capita in America, and a vast majority of restaurants and cafes have dog-friendly covered patio seating.

For the “Top 50 U.S. Cities To Be a Dog Owner” study, 360 Reviews scored each city by a variety of factors to determine overall ratings; two key categories, environment and services, were considered, along with four subcategories such as dog parks per capita, walkability, temperature range, veterinarian costs and more.

Tampa fell down the ranks due to a lower walkability score, and frequency of days with temperatures above 90 degrees. The city performed well in other categories such as veterinary costs. Dog owners have access to the fourth-highest number of dog parks per capita (4.9 parks for every 100,000 residents) in Tampa. There are also 242 dog-friendly restaurants in Tampa, Florida (18th-highest), as well as 62.5 pet stores and vet offices per 10,000 establishments (39th-highest).

Ybor City just recently broke ground on a brand new 4,000-square-foot dog park. Two Shepherds Taproom has become a go-to dog-friendly spot. The city also landed an indoor/outdoor dog park and bar with special memberships for pups. 

The beautiful stretch of Bayshore Boulevard, Curtis Hixon Park, the Tampa Riverwalk, our plethora of breweries and more make our fantastic city a paradise for pups. Our own Tampa International Airport has a pet relief area, as well.

Dog bars to visit in Tampa:

• Two Shepherds Taproom, 4813 N. Grady Avenue
• City Dog Cantina, 1208 E Kennedy Blvd #114
• Pups Pub, 2202 W Kennedy Blvd

Earlier in 2022, SmartAsset ranked Tampa as one of the top 5 dog-friendly cities in America. Sparkman Wharf also just put up signs for a new pop up dog park in downtown Tampa. Midtown Tampa just debuted its own massive luxurious pet store this summer.

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