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denver's tops
Queen City given pet-healthy pedigree
Purina ranks Charlotte No. 21 in list of cities to have cats and dogs
By KATE DERINGER
Jake Sciulli moved to Charlotte from Rockville, Md., this summer and
already loves the city.
It's no wonder the 3-year-old black Labrador is feeling at home,
according to a recent report.
Charlotte ranked No.21 in a first-ever list of America's "pet
healthiest" cities, a group of pet experts announced last week.
"I feel like there's more dogs here," Jessica Sciulli said
during a recent visit to the vet with Jake. "He's met some
buddies."
The Purina Pet Institute's Healthy Pets 21 Consortium ranked the
country's 50 largest metropolitan areas to determine which places make the
best homes for cats and dogs.
The 23criteria included a city's veterinarian-to-pet ratio, air quality
and the number of off-leash dog parks.
Denver, Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio, topped the list. Miami ranked
last. Greensboro, the only other Carolinas city in the study, ranked
No.40.
North Carolina's rabies vaccination legislation helped Charlotte
achieve its ranking, said Kerry Lyman, communications director for the
Purina Pet Institute.
In North Carolina, a pet's first vaccination is valid for one year.
After that, pets can receive rabies shots that last three years - a policy
experts say is safer for animals and more cost effective for owners. Some
states require rabies vaccinations every year.
The availability of veterinary care also contributed to Charlotte's
pet-healthy status. The city is home to 49 American Animal Hospital
Association-accredited veterinary professionals, according to the report.
The AAHA is a national organization that evaluates vets and hospitals.
Veterinarian Lori Pennea, who practices at the Animal Medical Hospital
on Monroe Road, said Charlotte is a city of smart and able pet owners.
"A lot of people are young, urban professionals who don't have
kids yet," she said. "These are their babies."
Dogs and cats do face some negatives in Charlotte, however. Heartworm
and parvovirus - an intestinal tract disease - are fairly common, Pennea
said.
In addition, Charlotte's animal shelters are not equipped to handle the
city's high population of unwanted cats and dogs, Pennea said.
"There's no room in the inn," she said, suggesting the city
allocate more money to help control the stray population.
All in all, though, cats and dogs could do much worse than to hang
their leashes in the Queen City.
"I think Charlotte is a great place for pets," Lyman said.
"You certainly have great access to veterinary care." |
