As of 2020, there were some 88 million pet dogs in American. Approximately 62 million (45%) households in the country own dogs. Dog ownership increased considerably during the pandemic years, and happily, surveys show most of the pets adopted during COVID-19 are still in their homes.
But not all states are equal when it comes to dog friendliness. Read on and find out where your state ranks.
If you’re looking for a place to hang your hat and have four-legged canine family members, we’ve ranked the most and least dog-friendly states in the US for you to see where you might want to live.
Ranks have been assigned according to a wide range of metrics. States that have a healthy dog population (more playmates for your pooch), rentals that allow dogs, owners that spoil their dogs, strict animal protection laws, easy access to veterinary care, a low number of dogs killed at animal shelters, no puppy mills, and a low cost of dog ownership have scored well.
So, let’s get right to it. Here are the most dog-friendly states in America and the least dog-friendly states in America.
1. Virginia
2. Oregon
3. North Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Indiana
50. New Mexico
49. Arkansas
48. New York
47. Iowa
46. Connecticut
|
STATE |
SCORE |
RANK |
|
Virginia |
61 |
1 |
|
Oregon |
58 |
2 |
|
North Carolina |
57 |
3 |
|
Tennessee |
57 |
3 |
|
Indiana |
56 |
5 |
|
Colorado |
55 |
6 |
|
Vermont |
55 |
6 |
|
Arizona |
53 |
8 |
|
Illinois |
53 |
9 |
|
Florida |
52 |
10 |
|
Maine |
52 |
10 |
|
Maryland |
52 |
10 |
|
Michigan |
52 |
10 |
|
Mississippi |
52 |
10 |
|
Nevada |
52 |
10 |
|
Rhode Island |
52 |
10 |
|
Louisiana |
51 |
17 |
|
Minnesota |
51 |
17 |
|
Missouri |
51 |
17 |
|
Nebraska |
51 |
17 |
|
Ohio |
51 |
17 |
|
Pennsylvania |
51 |
17 |
|
Kansas |
50 |
23 |
|
Kentucky |
50 |
23 |
|
Washington |
50 |
23 |
|
West Virginia |
50 |
23 |
|
Texas |
49 |
27 |
|
Utah |
49 |
27 |
|
Alabama |
48 |
29 |
|
Massachusetts |
48 |
29 |
|
New Hampshire |
48 |
29 |
|
New Jersey |
48 |
29 |
|
North Dakota |
48 |
29 |
|
Alaska |
47 |
34 |
|
Delaware |
47 |
34 |
|
South Carolina |
47 |
34 |
|
Wisconsin |
47 |
34 |
|
California |
46 |
38 |
|
Georgia |
46 |
38 |
|
Hawaii |
46 |
38 |
|
Oklahoma |
46 |
38 |
|
South Dakota |
46 |
38 |
|
Wyoming |
46 |
38 |
|
Idaho |
44 |
44 |
|
Montana |
44 |
44 |
|
Connecticut |
42 |
46 |
|
Iowa |
42 |
46 |
|
New York |
42 |
46 |
|
Arkansas |
41 |
49 |
|
New Mexico |
40 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
Many Americans spoil their dogs with outfits, accessories, perfumes, home-cooked meals, special dog treats at restaurants, spa treatments, birthday parties, and vacations. Some dogs even have their own social media accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers. But dog parents in some states spoil their babies more than others. We looked at the rankings in a Forbes survey on how much people in different US states spoil their dogs.
It can be challenging to find a rental that permits dogs, especially if you have a large dog. We looked at Zillow listings to see the percentage of rentals that allow dogs to see how easy or difficult it is for dog owners to find homes.
31 states have laws that prohibit leaving an animal confined or unattended in a parked vehicle in conditions that endanger the animal’s life. A few states impose fines ranging from several hundred to thousands of dollars. Others assign a misdemeanor penalty.
20 states have laws that require mandatory reporting of animal cruelty by veterinary professionals to local law enforcement agencies. In such states, veterinarians may face revocation of their license or other disciplinary actions if they fail to report suspected abuse. Other states allow veterinarians to report suspected abuse on a voluntary basis. Most states with mandatory or voluntary reporting have an immunity provision protecting veterinarians from civil or criminal liability. Approximately 14 US states have no laws requiring reporting.
23 states have a law that makes it illegal to tether or chain a dog to a stationary object. Some states allow tethering for a reasonable period of time, such as to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be restrained. In some states, there are restrictions on the number of hours a dog can be tethered or chained. These restrictions range from 5 hours to 14 hours.
29 states impose bans on future animal ownership by those convicted of animal cruelty and sexual abuse. Notable exceptions are New Mexico, West Virginia, and Wyoming where there are no laws against animal sexual assault.
Animal fighting paraphernalia includes blades, gaffs, breaking sticks, hot walkers, and treadmills used to train animals to fight. Nearly half of all US states have laws that criminalize possession of any animal fighting paraphernalia.
More than 350,000 dogs and cats are killed in animal shelters in the US each year because of a lack of community support and resources.
Commercial dog breeding facilities or puppy mills rely on quick breeding in poor conditions to make a fast buck.
The worst state with the maximum number of known puppy mills: Missouri
Other states in the “puppy mill belt”: Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania.
Dog parents thinking of bringing home a new puppy have to take into account a number of expenses, such as the cost of the puppy itself, pet licensing fee, microchips, veterinarian checks, vaccines, neuter surgery, pet insurance, food, and dog supplies such as a collar, harness, leash, bed, toys, food and water bowls, poop bags, grooming kit, and dog walker costs.
Each indicator from our list of 20 is worth 4 points for a maximum total score of 80. We’ve included data across a range of metrics, including general dog friendliness in a state with the percentage of households that have dogs, the number of rentals that allow small and large dogs, and states with the most spoiled dogs.
We’ve also included animal protection laws in our rankings, with states having the strictest laws gaining points over states that have less strict or no animal protection laws.
States with the most responsible dog-lovers have received points in our rankings. We’ve included metrics for the number of dogs killed at shelters and the number of known puppy mills in a state.
The cost of dog ownership is an important metric and we’ve looked at it in detail, including overall cost, cost of dog food, and expenses like vet visits, vaccines, and pet insurance.
Last but not least, we’ve taken veterinarians into account, looking at metrics such as location quotient (concentration of veterinarians in a state) and annual wages for veterinarian to assess which states have easy access to high quality veterinarian care.
General Dog Friendliness – 4 indicators
Animal Protection Laws – 6 indicators
Animal Shelters and Puppy Mills – 2 indicators
Cost of Dog Ownership – 5 indicators
Access to Veterinary Care – 3 indicators
Dog Ownership
Over 46% - 4 points
36-45% - 3 points
26-35% - 2 points
Less than 25% - 1 point
Most Spoiled Dogs
Ranks 1-12 – 4 points
Ranks 13-24 – 3 points
Ranks 25-36 – 2 points
Ranks 37-50 – 1 point
Small-Dog-Friendly Rentals
Over 66% – 4 points
51-65% – 3 points
36-50% – 2 points
35% or less – 1 point
Large-Dog-Friendly Rentals
Over 51% – 4 points
36-50% – 3 points
21-35% – 2 points
20% or less – 1 point
Laws to Protect Pets Left in Parked Vehicles
States that have laws to protect pets left in parked vehicles – 4 points
States that don’t have laws to protect pets left in parked vehicles – 1 point
Veterinary Reporting Requirement and Immunity Laws
States with mandatory veterinary reporting requirements and immunity laws – 4 points
States with mandatory veterinary reporting requirements but no immunity laws – 3 points
States with voluntary veterinary reporting requirements – 2 points
States with no veterinary reporting requirements or immunity provisions– 1 point
Dog Tethering or Chaining Law
States that have laws to prevent tethering or chaining of dogs – 4 points
States that don’t have laws to prevent tethering or chaining of dogs – 1 point
Anti-Cruelty Laws That Restrain Future Ownership of Animals
States that have laws to restrain future ownership of animals – 4 points
States that don’t have laws to restrain future ownership of animals – 1 point
Laws Against Sexual Assault of Animals
States that have laws banning sexual assault of animals – 4 points
States that criminalize bestiality – 3 points
States that have no law addressing sexual assault of animals – 1 point
Laws Against Animal Fighting Paraphernalia
States that have laws against animal fighting paraphernalia – 4 points
States that criminalize possession of animal fighting paraphernalia – 3 points
States that don’t have laws against animal fighting paraphernalia – 1 point
Number of dogs and cats killed in shelters
No kill states – 4 points
Up to 14,500 animals killed – 3 points
14,500 to 37,000 animals killed – 2 points
More than 37,000 animals killed – 1 point
Number of puppy mills
Less than 25 puppy mills – 4 points
26-50 puppy mills – 3 points
51-75 – 2 points
76 or more puppy mills – 1 point
Overall cost of owning a dog
Less than $1300 per year – 4 points
$1301 to $1700 per year – 3 points
$1701 to $2200 per year – 2 points
$2201 or more per year – 1 point
Annual cost of dog food
Less than $500 per year – 4 points
$501 to $750 per year – 3 points
$751 to $1000 per year – 2 points
$1001 or more per year – 1 point
Cost of pet insurance (yearly)
Less than $500 per year – 4 points
$501 to $600 per year – 3 points
$601 to $700 per year – 2 points
$701 or more per year – 1 point
Cost of veterinarian office visits (yearly)
Less than $55 per year – 4 points
$56 to $60 per year – 3 points
$61 to $65 per year – 2 points
$66 or more per year – 1 point
Cost of vaccines and spay/neuter
Less than $550 per year – 4 points
$551 to $600 per year – 3 points
$601 to $650 per year – 2 points
$651 or more per year – 1 point
Number of veterinarians employed
More than 2000 – 4 points
1200 to 1999 – 3 points
500 to 1199 – 2 points
499 or less – 1 point
Location quotient (concentration of veterinarians)
More than 2.5 – 4 points
1.25 to 2.5 – 3 points
0.80 to 1.24 – 2 points
0.79 or less – 1 point\
Annual average salary of veterinarians
More than $115,000 – 4 points
$105,000 to $114,999 – 3 points
$95,000 to $104,999 – 2 points
$94,999 or less – 1 point