We recently shared a topic about Pet Happiness and what you all think makes the happiest pets. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the topic there were some fantastic answers and tips about how to keep pets happy! The thread is still open so feel free to join the discussion.
It’s such a great pet-centric topic that we wanted to continue the Pet Happiness theme, so TrustedHousesitters has completed a Pet Happiness Index. you can check it out tomorrow in the TrustedTimes, however, we wanted to give our pet-loving forum community a sneak peek before then.
We embarked on a nationwide mission to uncover the happiest states for pets across the USA - aka, the TrustedHousesitters Happy Pet Index! To do this, we analyzed 10 key factors across each of the 50 states, including…
Veterinary care
Parks
Walkability
Pet ownership rates
Shelter adoptions
Pet-friendly rentals
Animal protection laws
Climate
Remote workers
Pet sitter accessibility
All scores are out of 100 (so each factor is worth up to 10 points), and the results are in! Let’s see which US states have the most tails wagging, feathers flapping, and hooves clopping…
Colorado came out on top but with some strong contenders just behind, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and Arizona.
You can find more details in our blog article about the THS Happy Pet Index here
Did one of your home states make the list? Or maybe a state you have visited or housesat in? Even if it did not there are lots of places across the world where there are great things that make Pets Happy and we want to hear about those places too!
We would love you to share your tips, experiences and photos of your happy pets.
The happiest pet that I took care of this spring must be the guy in the hills north of Nottingham. No parks, but enormous fields to run in free, endless footpaths, and owners that loved walking.
I’ve lived in two of the top three states and seriously considered moving to the third years ago, including shopping for homes. Yes, they’re dog friendly places for sure. And increasingly so over the years, I’ve noticed from visiting and/or moving away and back.
Meanwhile, desert heat can be hard. You walk at certain times to avoid the worst of it, but sometimes it cools off only slightly. When we lived in such climates with our dog, we were luckily in a golf community. That meant he could walk on grass, instead of on baking sidewalks or streets.
I joked that, had we stayed longer, I would’ve gotten our dog a treadmill so we could remain in air-conditioning instead of going outdoors. In reality, there are some gyms with indoor walking / running tracks for humans to avoid broiling outdoors. Not sure if they let dogs in, too.
Ah, great share @pietkuip It brings back so many fond memories of the open fields and woodland to walk in the UK. That is one happy dog!
@Maggie8K The heat in Colorado is picking up so we leave early and late for foster pup walks. I have an under-the-desk treadmill and after reading your comment I am now wondering if I can train Cee Cee to use that during hot spells. I will post a picture if it works out
Colorado? Okay. But Oregon? Wow. I understand Oregon isn’t just Portland, but having witnessed the shocking and ever-worsening situation of homeless people in Portland, it seems that the dogs in the state are much happier than the people
