Wednesday, April 19, 2006Long Beach a Top-10 City in North America to Visit with a Dog
I guess Long Beach is the place to be if you have a dog!
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Dog’s Life A Dream In Long Beach
By Amy Bentley-Smith
Features Editor
Living in Long Beach is something dogs can wag their tails about.
So says Dog Fancy magazine, which in its November issue names Long Beach as one of the 10 most dog-friendly cities in the country. Others in the top 10 included Albuquerque; Austin, Texas; Bellingham, Wash.; Chicago; Coral Springs, Fla.; Houston; New York City; Richmond, Va.; and Santa Barbara. While the winners weren’t ranked, the magazine did say Chicago was the number one choice, naming the city Dogtown USA.
“As a dog owner, I am delighted that Dog Fancy magazine has listed our community as a top 10 dog-friendly city,” Mayor Beverly O’Neill said. “We pride ourselves on creating a good quality of life for our citizens as well as activities that include our dogs.”
Susan Chaney, editor of the national magazine that is published in Orange County, said the top-10 list came from an initial list of 101 cities nominated by readers. In selecting the winners, the magazine considered everything from pro-dog legislation and dog-centered activities to the ratio of dogs to veterinarians and the percentage of dogs in shelters whose owners had brought them there.
“If owners are turning in their dogs to shelters, that’s a good indication that it’s not a very dog-friendly city,” Chaney said.
Long Beach fared well in all criteria, which put it in top-10 contention. Chaney said there was one area in particular that Long Beach really shined.
“I would say that what most stood out was the activities for dogs,” she said, crediting Belmont Shore resident Justin Rudd for the role he has had in bringing so many dog events to the city. Rudd’s Haute Dog Halloween and Easter dog parades have attracted national media attention.
Rudd also was instrumental in what turned out to be another plus for Long Beach as a dog-friendly city — the city’s dog beach zone. This Oct. 31 marks the one-year anniversary that the Dog Zone became a permanently allowed area for dogs on the beach, after a more than 15-month trial.
“Not many places could say they had that,” Chaney said.
One of Rudd’s Haute Dog events, the bulldog beauty contest, was singled out by the magazine, which listed it as one of the top three most unique events for dogs. The contest was part of a Father’s Day event Rudd organized for the community this year. The next bulldog beauty contest is scheduled for Mother’s Day 2006.
“I just love to celebrate having animals in not only my life but people’s lives. It’s such a joy to do,” Rudd said as to why he puts on his Haute Dog events. “It doesn’t matter when I spend more than 40 hours a week on it, because I know it’s doing something good for people and their pets.”
The November issue of Dog Fancy is on stands now. Chaney said she expects the magazine will make the top-10 dog-friendly cities an annual competition.
For more information, visit www.dogfancy.com.
Tags: Long Beach, dog parks, dog beach, dogs
Also...
Dog’s Life A Dream In Long Beach
By Amy Bentley-Smith
Features Editor
Living in Long Beach is something dogs can wag their tails about.
So says Dog Fancy magazine, which in its November issue names Long Beach as one of the 10 most dog-friendly cities in the country. Others in the top 10 included Albuquerque; Austin, Texas; Bellingham, Wash.; Chicago; Coral Springs, Fla.; Houston; New York City; Richmond, Va.; and Santa Barbara. While the winners weren’t ranked, the magazine did say Chicago was the number one choice, naming the city Dogtown USA.
“As a dog owner, I am delighted that Dog Fancy magazine has listed our community as a top 10 dog-friendly city,” Mayor Beverly O’Neill said. “We pride ourselves on creating a good quality of life for our citizens as well as activities that include our dogs.”
Susan Chaney, editor of the national magazine that is published in Orange County, said the top-10 list came from an initial list of 101 cities nominated by readers. In selecting the winners, the magazine considered everything from pro-dog legislation and dog-centered activities to the ratio of dogs to veterinarians and the percentage of dogs in shelters whose owners had brought them there.
“If owners are turning in their dogs to shelters, that’s a good indication that it’s not a very dog-friendly city,” Chaney said.
Long Beach fared well in all criteria, which put it in top-10 contention. Chaney said there was one area in particular that Long Beach really shined.
“I would say that what most stood out was the activities for dogs,” she said, crediting Belmont Shore resident Justin Rudd for the role he has had in bringing so many dog events to the city. Rudd’s Haute Dog Halloween and Easter dog parades have attracted national media attention.
Rudd also was instrumental in what turned out to be another plus for Long Beach as a dog-friendly city — the city’s dog beach zone. This Oct. 31 marks the one-year anniversary that the Dog Zone became a permanently allowed area for dogs on the beach, after a more than 15-month trial.
“Not many places could say they had that,” Chaney said.
One of Rudd’s Haute Dog events, the bulldog beauty contest, was singled out by the magazine, which listed it as one of the top three most unique events for dogs. The contest was part of a Father’s Day event Rudd organized for the community this year. The next bulldog beauty contest is scheduled for Mother’s Day 2006.
“I just love to celebrate having animals in not only my life but people’s lives. It’s such a joy to do,” Rudd said as to why he puts on his Haute Dog events. “It doesn’t matter when I spend more than 40 hours a week on it, because I know it’s doing something good for people and their pets.”
The November issue of Dog Fancy is on stands now. Chaney said she expects the magazine will make the top-10 dog-friendly cities an annual competition.
For more information, visit www.dogfancy.com.
Tags: Long Beach, dog parks, dog beach, dogs
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