The Best Cities in the World to Have a Dog

From the earliest hunter-gatherer societies to the uber-modern city landscapes, dogs have always been a part of our lives. Wherever we go, they follow. Or maybe it’s the other way around? Either way, it’s impossible to imagine life without them. And so to pay homage to our furriest of friends, researchers from Protect My Paws decided to find the best cities in the world for dog lovers.

Here’s what they found out

Highest concentration of dogs

Paris is pooch heaven, according to the Protect My Paws research. Its findings show that the French capital has the highest concentration of canines anywhere in the world. You’ll find 2,857 four-legged furballs per km2 in the ‘City of Light.’

With 2,463 dogs per km2, Buenos Aires takes the second spot. Then there’s a big drop-off to the rest of the pack, which includes Bern (1,236), Havana (1,194), and Chicago (1,037.)

Taipei, Taiwan, just missed out on claiming its place in the top five list. Around 1,024 dogs live the perfect domestic pet life per km2 in the city. However, thousands more strays and feral dogs roam the city. Taipei would likely have ranked much higher if these wild pups were included in the figures.

The remaining cities with extremely high levels of furry cuteness are Philadelphia, Copenhagen, Houston, and New York City.

The cities with the most dog people

If you’re a bonafide dog lover, you’ll find plenty of kindred spirits in Houston, Texas. That’s because the US city has the highest number of dog people. There’s one dog for every two humans in Texas!

Bern, Switzerland, has the second-highest dog:person ratio on the planet. There are 47.7 pups per 100 people in the Swiss city. Bern’s love affair with dogs shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Bern is where farmers and hunters breed the very first Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Havana is another city full of people who love pooches. Cuba’s capital city has 40 dogs per 100 people, putting it in third place. Another US city comes next. It’s San Diego (36 dogs per 100 humans). San Francisco completes the top 5 dog people cities. The dog to human ratio in the Golden City is 26:100.

Best cities for dogs to live in

Paris is the best city in the world to raise a fur baby. But you couldn’t have said this a few years ago. Dogs were banned from 84% of the city’s parks until councilors repealed the barking mad law in February 2019.

Houston, Texas, takes canine welfare very seriously. The city has watering spots where dogs can get a free drink on hot days, and the majority of Houston’s bars, restaurants, and cafes operate an ‘all dogs are welcome’ policy. Houston is also home to a fantastic dog park called Millie Bush. This 13-acre park has three swimming pools, washing and water stations, and a free stick for every arrival! The locals call it ‘Doggy Paradise!’

Dogs aren’t pets. Instead, they’re part of the family. And as this study, that golden rule applies all over the world.