Vancouver is among the top cities in the world for dogs in 2020, with Toronto and Montreal also making the list.
Vancouver dog owners will be happy to hear that we've been ranked as one of best cities in the world for dogs.
A new study by Coya has ranked the Best Cities for Dogs 2020 by looking at various aspects of pet ownership, pup-friendly infrastructure, lifetime cost, and even abandonment rate.
With such a great selection of dog-friendly hikes, parks, beaches and stores in Vancouver, and an increasing number of dog-friendly employers, it's no surprise that the city scored well, placing 23 out of a total of 50 cities across the globe.
Although it's not surprising to Vancouver dog owners that the city ranks well when it comes to our furry friends, the confirmation couldn't come at a better time as Vancouver has seen a huge spike in adoptions recently due to the pandemic.
The city was given an overall score of 84.62 out of 100 and is one of only three Canadian cities to make this year's list. Toronto made the top 10, placing 9th with a score of 88.67, and Montreal placed 16th, scoring 88.03.
Coya, a dog-loving insurance company that has an Instagram page dedicated to their office dogs, compiled the ranking by taking a list of cities around the globe previously cited as a good location for dogs, and finalizing the list of 50 locations with comparable and available data.
They took into consideration everything that makes a city perfect for pups, including parks, pet stores, vets, and dog-friendly establishments such as hotels and restaurants.
"To paint a picture of how many pups live in each city, we calculated an estimate of dogs per capita for every location. And to determine how responsible dog owners are in each city, we investigated how many dogs are abandoned each year and the official fines for not cleaning up dog mess," said Coya.
"To complement our findings, we also asked residents in each city to rate responsible dog ownership in their area with regards to how responsible dog owners are in cleaning up their pet’s poop. The final results reveal which cities are home to the happiest hounds."
San Francisco topped the list of dog-friendly cities in the world based on overall scores, with Seattle and Tel Aviv completing the top 3.
To see how Vancouver scored in each category, you can check out the full breakdown on the Coya website.