Arizona is a Pet Friendly State

AAA, known not only for its automobile services but for providing leisure travel information, recently announced the ten cities that are the most accommodating for people with traveling with their pets. More than 22 million people in the U.S. travel with dogs, and another 7 million people travel with other types of pets.

This ranking of cities is based on the number of AAA Approved and Diamond rated pet-friendly hotels. The ranking also takes into account pet-friendly AAA Approved attractions, the number of local dog parks listed on official city Web sites and other outside sources, and the number of American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited animal clinics.

Top Ten Cities For People Who Travel With Pets

1. Houston, TX
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Austin, TX
4. Albuquerque, NM
5. Phoenix, AZ
6. Dallas, TX
7. New York, NY
8. Orlando, FL
9. Nashville, TN
10. Tucson, AZ

The City of Phoenix was noted as having 64 qualifying pet-friendly hotels, 2 campgrounds, 5 dog parks, and 12 accredited animal clinics. The City of Tucson was noted as having 43 qualifying pet-friendly hotels, 12 campgrounds, 6 dog parks, and 22 accredited animal clinics. For more information about this ranking, visit AAA online.

Note about this survey: Many surveys list cities, and really take into account suburbs and neighboring communities. This survey apparently was specific in counting the city itself, and not the metro area of the city. I make that assumption because there are many more than 5 dog parks in the Greater Phoenix area.