It may be hard to turn the corner in New York City without seeing a dog going for a walk, but even in a place where buildings have amenities just for pets, it’s not friendly for our furry friends. A new report from WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest cities across 19 key metrics, including number of pet businesses per capita, pet-friendly restaurants per capita and veterinary costs. New York City earned an overall score of 24.49, putting it dead last for pet-friendliness. Its “pet budget” and “pet health and wellness” ranking were also last, and its outdoor pet-friendliness landed in the middle among cities. RELATED:These are the top cities for dog owners Pet health and wellness counted for half of the overall score, and took into account number of vets, pet caretakers and businesses, as well as pet-friendliness of the rental market and single-family detached households. But New York City ranked particularly low when it came to the budget categories — coming in at 93 for highest veterinary costs and 100 for highest pet insurance premiums. “..Adding a pet to the family roster can strike a hard blow to the owner’s wallet. A litany of expenses — including licenses, grooming and medical care — can cost between $235 to nearly $2,000 annually , depending on the type of animal. Health insurance alone can exceed $200 per year for a dog, and it may not even be worth it. And if you rent an apartment with an animal, you can expect to pay hundreds, if not thousands, more for a pet deposit, fee and rent,” WalletHub wrote in its report. If you’re looking for a more pet-friendly, or even just budget-friendly city, then try Orlando, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa, Florida, which ranked in the top three on WalletHub’s list. Check out the map below to see the rankings for all 100 U.S. cities:
NYC is America’s least pet-friendly city: Report
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Source: WalletHub
