Hi OKC. So, I work with a blog that looks at the lighter side of city living and we put together an analysis of pet friendly cities: The 10 Best Cities for Pet Lovers (http://www.movoto.com/blog/top-ten/pet-lovers/). We looked at parks, vets and animal services. Oklahoma City came in third.

Feedback? What do you all think? :)

That's nice. I know Norman currently is expanding their dog park (or going to) and Edmond's dog park always has a ton of people there. I wonder if they have one in Downtown anywhere (I mean anything in the core.. DD, AA, FR, whatever...) I think with the rapidly growing housing downtown, a dog park would do great.

That's nice. I know Norman currently is expanding their dog park (or going to) and Edmond's dog park always has a ton of people there. I wonder if they have one in Downtown anywhere (I mean anything in the core.. DD, AA, FR, whatever...) I think with the rapidly growing housing downtown, a dog park would do great.

The Myriad Gardens has an area specifically for dogs.

Myriad Botanical Gardens Dog Park | Dog Goes (http://www.doggoes.com/parks/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/myriad-botanical-gardens-dog-park)

I have to say I am very surprised at this, frankly. VERY surprised.

I have to say I am very surprised at this, frankly. VERY surprised.

Me too.

And I should clarify, so here are some thoughts/observations:

We came back home after being back east for ten years. I have dogs and our girls LOVE it here because they have a big yard. This is a much better place for them but at the same time, the dog ownership culture is quite different. I can't number the people who assumed that because my girls are purebred that I was missing the boat to not breed them and sell the puppies. That's a whole different mindset as compared to where we were living, before.

People here love their dogs every bit as much as they do back east, but for many, it is just different. For example, a neighbor mentioned to me, recently, that her husband hadn't taken their dogs hunting in a couple of years and therefore, she was going to get him to get rid of them. And in truth, their dogs are out back in a kennel, never socialized, as near as I can tell. They are pretty much treated like livestock. They have that in Virginia, too (house dogs vs. yard dogs) but mainly in the backwoods areas. I was surprised to see it in a semi rural area.

I am not one to use dog parks because I don't need them, but I couldn't tell you where any are, around here without looking it up. Back east, they were everywhere. of course, with large yards, there isn't nearly the need for them so perhaps that is a net plus for Oklahoma.

There are some doggy day cares around here if you look for them - but you have to look. You'll find them all over the place, back east. A friend of mine who is a trucker (now retired) out of Grand Rapids sometimes used to take his dogs with him on long haul runs. He would fake little side trips and find good doggy day care places where they could stay while he did some sight seeing. He once mentioned to me that he had actually avoided taking some jobs into this region (even just passing through) because he couldn't find good recommendations for doggy day cares.

I've never boarded my girls and don't want to but just in case there is ever an emergency, I've checked out a few boarding kennels. OMG! Perhaps I've just been unlucky but I only saw one that looked remotely clean or safe - including ones at vet offices. I easily found many acceptable boarding kennels back east.

On the plus side, I think the value of good dog nutrition is rapidly becoming appreciated, here. It is easy to get good commercial food. If you are into holistic stuff, you can find that, too.

I've not had trouble finding a primary vet although, like all places, we've hit some that I wouldn't go back to. The problem has been finding specialists. Fortunately, there are a few good ones around if you know where to look or get lucky. But you have to look for them. That is probably related to the fact that there is MUCH cheaper vet care in Oklahoma than here is back east. No comparison. Not even close. So that is good for pets because perhaps their families will be able to take them to the vet without so much financial hardship.

The lack of good sidewalks makes it more difficult to walk dogs in suburban and urban neighborhoods (out in the semi rural areas, we can just use the street).

Climate is important. So long as you have air conditioning and your dog is a house dog, you're fine. But the extreme temperatures in Oklahoma, especially in the summer, can be very hard on outdoor dogs, especially the ones with big coats.

Oklahoma actually has some better laws on the books protecting dogs than a lot of places. They could always improve but IMO, they aren't bad. And the shelters and rescues seem pretty active for certain groups or breeds of dogs.

I've not had trouble finding a primary vet although, like all places, we've hit some that I wouldn't go back to. The problem has been finding specialists. Fortunately, there are a few good ones around if you know where to look or get lucky. But you have to look for them.I can suggest a couple, depending on what specialty you need. Dr. Robert Gwim specializes in eye problems for both dogs and cats. He's located on NW 122 just west of May avenue in a building he shares with a general practice vet. And Dr. Holland (sorry I don't remember her first name) is an animal internist who gave our first Himalayan cat a couple of years additional life after a hypertension problem developed. We made contact with her through the Critical Care/Emergency clinic on Memorial Road just a bit east of Penn; I'm sure they can still refer you to her if asked. Incidentally, that facility has been a lifesaver to us in several cases; it's open 24/7 and the staff are dedicated folk who don't mind answering questions over the phone!

Are guinea pigs, hamsters and/or gerbils considered pets?
(sorry, wrong number, meant to call Pet Smart . . .)
(just a tiny paradigm shift . . . please forgive me . . .)

This surprises me because "responsible" pet ownership has always seemed something of a novelty in OKC, unlike places where everyone knows it's normal to clean up after your pet on walks.

Like PQ, I have no need for dog parks. I already have my own :wink: