I lived in Albuquerque for almost six years, all of them with Sam at my side. We always knew that it was a great place to be a dog; a lot of open spaces, a nice climate, and a lot of people who love dogs, too. Now, according to the
Albuquerque Tribune, a national magazine has recognized that fact.
Remember when the only activity to do with your dog in these parts was a predictable hike in the mountains?
And taking your pooch to a restaurant was a sacrilege on par with eating a hot dog at a PETA fair?
Those days are over, says one national magazine, calling Albuquerque a plumb place for dogs to be, well, dogs.
The November issue of Dog Fancy, the People magazine for dog lovers, has named Albuquerque one of the Top 10 dog-friendly cities in the nation, thanks to its healthy climate, pro-dog government and unique dog-oriented events.
"There is such a dog consciousness here," said Rebecca Loring, founder of ABQdog.com, a Web site promoting happy, healthy lifestyles for Albuquerque dogs and their owners. "It's really, really improved in the last five years."
Albuquerque was joined on the list by such big cities as Chicago and New York; Houston and Austin; two California coast cities; Richmond, Va.; Bellingham, Wash.; and Coral Springs, Fla.
Chicago took first place; the other nine cities were listed in no particular order.
"The city itself, the city government, has to recognize the value of dogs in people's lives," said Dog Fancy Editor Susan Chaney, about how cities were chosen for the list. "When you have a dog friendly downtown, for example, that's actually an economic development issue because more people are walking around with their dogs, going places they likely wouldn't if they weren't walking around."
[...]
Overall, Loring says, the city has shown much support for a pro-dog lifestyle. For example:
The city has earmarked $5.2 million in its 2005-06 budget for Animal Care, the city's shelters. That's up $2.1 million from 2000, says Animal Care Director Denise Wilcox.
$800,000 has been spent on spay and neuter programs since 2001.
Scooby's Law was passed statewide this year, requiring a bittering agent to be added to antifreeze, making it less appealing to dogs.
It is now a felony to leave a dog in a hot car.
A dog is not allowed to be tied up for more than one hour a day.
There are six off-leash dog parks and areas, and six more are on the way.
[...]
The magazine mentioned three points that make Albuquerque unique: the Petroglyph National Monument for its spectacular hiking and views; the Dog Ball, the city's annual black-tie fund-raiser for animal awareness programs; and DogFest Film Festival, an Albuquerque-based, national event that raises money for spay and neuter programs in New Mexico.
My friend Brian has been very active in creating the off-leash parks; working with city hall and other groups to get the easements and the permissions, learning how to deal with all of the red tape that is part of the normal course of events in getting a city government to do something new. I'm sure he's proud of the recognition, and I'll bet his dog Marty is happy too.
Marty
She really is happy...she looks like that all the time. Now isn't that the most adorable face you ever saw?
