The street.com a personal finance investing and retirement site ranks Orlando as the 3rd ranked dog friendliest major city in the U.S.
What they did was compare the 100 most populated cities across 3 key dimensions:
1. Pet budget: Which includes costs of veternary care, pet sitting and dog insurance.
2. Pet health and wellness which includes the number per capita of vets, trainers, pet sitters, animal shelters, dog friendly restaurants, and shops as well as pet friendliness of the rental market and animal protection laws.
3. Outdoor pet friendliness… which includes things like : the weather, dog parks, dog friendly trails and walk score of areas.
So after they compiled all this information they gave Orlando a 3rd overall ranking in pet health and wellness. With an score of 31st in budget friendly rank and 34th in outdoor pet friendliness.
Surprisingly St. Petersburg at 7th overall and Miami at 23rd overall both made the top 30 in the U.S. most dog friendly cities.
I love my dogs and am glad that I live in a dog friendly town that has many amenities and places for them.
Some examples of dog friendly areas include… Lake Eola (Downtown Orlando), Lake Nona Area, the Lake Baldwin Park area which has Fleet Peoples Park a large grassy and lakeside park that is on the shore of Lake Baldwin where the dogs are allowed off leash to run, jump in the water and play with all the other dogs in the sandy beachlike area and grass field. There’s also Park of the Americas by the executive airport which is a great park for people and dogs. It basically has 3 different areas in one park. Part of it is a large jogging/ cross training track around a small lake, another part is a kid friendly play place and picnic area and the third part has 2 fenced in areas that allows dogs to run free in. One for large dogs and one for small dogs. Sandford, which is north of Orlando, has Paw Park which is another park that has grassy areas for the 2 sizes of dogs again one for big dogs and one for small dogs. The Sandford downtown area is pretty dog friendly as well.
The Orlando and surrounding areas also have many dog friendly areas in the newer subdivisions being built. They have sidewalks and grassy areas with dog waste bag dispensers in certain areas so fido can play ,walk, run and go and leave nothing behind.
The City of Winter Park has a very dog friendly vibe as well on Park Ave. Park Ave near Rollins college has boutiques, cafes, ice cream shops, a large park area, a farmers market area, furniture shops and other places that are for the most part very dog friendly. They will let your dog in and even have a bowl of water either waiting in the store or outside for fido to take a break while you walk them up and down shopping and eating.
Our area also has many natural sites and places that are dog friendly, like Wekiwa Springs and Little Big Econ State Forest.
Wekiwa Springs Park is one of Floridas oldest attractions and they will let you bring your pup in for fun. You can launch a canoe and take them with you or you can just go swimming together in the crystal clear, and always 72 degrees cool water.
Little Big Econ State Forest is a beautiful, lush, forest rich with Florida history. Pets are welcome here to walk the trails and hike through the various eco systems the area has to offer. Bordered by 2 rivers the park is also popular for fishing and paddling.
These are just a few examples of the areas, parks and towns that cater to the dog friendly lifestyle. There are so many more to mention that if I did it would turn this blog into a full book. So if you are like me and love dogs… you should also love our Orlando area and surrounding communities and that living here can make you and your dogs life better and richer for being here. So if you live here check out more places for you and your pet and get them out more. (They can always use more exercise) Or if you are thinking of moving here and want a dog friendly city and dog friendly areas…well… we have lots to choose from. Let me help you find one that fits you and your dogs needs.
Orlando Homes For Sale– Todd Mowry Realtor. Specializing in Real Estate in Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Waterford Lakes and surrounding
communities. I have over nine years of experience in advising buyers and sellers on how to make the most well informed decisions for themselves. Call or text me at 407-435-5220 even if you just need to ask a question from an experienced and dependable Realtor.
