* I regularly consult the BringFido.com website whenever I want to take Oscar someplace. It’s especially handy in towns I’m unfamiliar with, but it’s also useful even when I think I know where I can take him. If this sounds like a blatant plug, well, it kinda is. The site has been invaluable for me. So, I paid attention when I received an email touting this story…

The Most (and Least) Dog-Friendly States in the USA

Think your home state is great for the canine set? Wonder if there are greener pastures for your dogs to roam across America? Using the latest census data and our directory of pet-friendly places, the BringFido editorial team compiled per capita stats on the number of dog-friendly restaurants, outdoor activities, and pet-friendly hotels in all 50 states

That’s not a be-all, end-all sort of analysis, but, like I said, I swear by that site.

* And that’s why I was sad when I saw Illinois ranked a very unfriendly 42nd…

42. Illinois

The Land of Lincoln welcomes all with its eclectic mix of big cities, quaint river towns, and natural beauty. Illinois may not have a national park, but the 270,000-acre Shawnee National Forest will have Fido hiking to his heart’s content. Picturesque Starved Rock State Park and Fox Ridge State Park are also must-visits for outbound hounds. If you prefer city living, spend a weekend in dog-friendly Chicago and bring your furry first mate on Mercury’s Canine Cruise to see Chi-Town’s sights from the water. Get a splash of culture in Monticello at Allerton Park & Retreat Center, and play together, whatever the weather, at one of the country’s best indoor dog parks - Wag ‘N Paddle in Naperville.

* Oscar and I slip away to Florida on occasion when it’s cold. Say what you want about that state, but it has very dog-friendly attitudes…

9. Florida

Whether you’re driving down the A1A or along the Gulf Coast, “paws” to enjoy miles of pet-friendly beaches, tropical grills and dog-friendly vacation rentals in the Sunshine State. Your furry friend will enjoy splashing off leash at some of the best stretches of sand in the country, including Fort De Soto Dog Beach Park in St. Petersburg and Jupiter Beach in Jupiter. Bring the whole family to meet Goofy and Pluto at Disney World. For a tropical playground year-round, head to the Florida Keys and kayak through mangrove creeks with Lazy Dog Adventures. Before you jet off, spend an awesome weekend together in the “Magic City” of Miami. Check out our Ruff Guide to Florida for more travel advice.

* And here’s an Oscar pic to help you through the day…

Any ideas for making Illinois more pet-friendly?

       

20 Comments - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:23 pm: Keep Mike Bost in Washington? - What's in a name? - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:25 pm: I like other people’s dogs. So I don’t have a dog in the fight. The world (or in our case the State) must be getting better if we are talking about whether or not we are dog friendly enough. I thnik that’s progress. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:28 pm: === must be getting better if we are talking about=== Meh. We can do more than one thing at a time. - Moi - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:44 pm: Every child in Illinois gets an Oscar clone to live forever happy! - Peace, Love and Guitars - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:45 pm: More dog parks at public facilities - G'Kar - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 12:46 pm: I wish they explained why Illinois is 42nd. I take my dog to dog friendly restaurants, brew pubs, Air BnB’s and hotels all the time. - Lurker - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 1:05 pm: When Illinois becomes people friendly it will also be pet friendly. We do not have enough safe places to walk. Not enough good sidewalks. Not enough good walking trails. Not enough streets blocked off so no cars and only foot traffic. Etc. - Lake Villa Township - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 1:06 pm: Suburbs need to be walkable, in Lake county we pay the highest property taxes in the state the least we deserve is a sidewalk along our streets. - Marc Ayers - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 1:06 pm: More places should be accepting of our furry friends. Don’t forget that Illinois has some of the best laws in the country protecting animals. ALDF’s report has Illinois ranked #2 in the U.S. Illinois was the record title holder as number 1 until we got beat by Maine in 2020. Take a look here: https://aldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2021-Animal-Protection-US-State-Laws-Rankings-Report-Animal-Legal-Defense-Fund.pdf - Amalia - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 1:09 pm: more funds for trap neuter release for cats, and encouraging working cats for businesses. keeps the population of cats down and the population of mice and rats down. - Fr. Murphy - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 2:11 pm: Its very disappointing that the state park lodges (Starved Rock, Giant City) don’t allow pets. - Bigtwich - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 2:20 pm: Illinois has long been cat friendly. “To the Honorable, the Members of the Senate of the Sixth-sixth General Assembly: I herewith return, without my approval, Senate Bill No. 93, entitled, “An Act to Provide Protection to Insectivorous Birds by Restraining Cats.” https://www.fcusd.org/cms/lib/CA01001934/Centricity/Domain/1261/Stevenson%20Cat%20Bill%20Veto.pdf - Joe Bidenopolous - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 2:20 pm: =I wish they explained why Illinois is 42nd.== Same - my dog goes all of those places and more as well. - Sue - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 2:42 pm: Have to agree with Rich on this one. Most Florida beaches overlook people letting their dogs off leash and I have never been anywhere else in the USA that has more veterinary offices. You can’t walk or drive 2 miles without coming across one or more vet offices - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 3:00 pm: ===Have to agree with Rich on this one=== First time for everything. The problem, however, is finding a condo to rent or own that allows dogs over 30 pounds. Almost impossible on the East coast. Still not easy on the Gulf side. But, the same issue exists in Chicago. - PublicServant - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 3:02 pm: I’m assuming snow is dog-friendly. At Least my daughter’s two Siberian Husky brothers think so. Another plus for Illinois…for dogs that is. - Homebody - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 3:38 pm: ===The problem, however, is finding a condo to rent or own that allows dogs over 30 pounds.=== But that is a renter/landlord issue, having nothing to do with the state. I don’t see anything that suggests how these rankings were determined. For fun I jumped to #50 and found poor, Mississippi sitting there. Mississippi is rightly at the bottom of many statistical rankings of states, but again, this site gives zero reason to explain why. You could randomly assign numbers to each state, keep the exact same write ups, and no one would notice. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 3:41 pm: ===site gives zero reason to explain why=== Try reading. === Using the latest census data and our directory of pet-friendly places, the BringFido editorial team compiled per capita stats on the number of dog-friendly restaurants, outdoor activities, and pet-friendly hotels in all 50 states=== - Furtive Look - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 4:35 pm: We are cat people, so what Amalia said regarding TNR. Many localities have unfriendly policies regarding cats, those need to go. And Bigtwich, thanks for showing me that Adlai was a cat man. - lake county democrat - Tuesday, Feb 8, 22 @ 5:44 pm: Lake County has MUCH better dog parks than Cook County - definitely room for improvement there. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.