DogFriendly.com's March 2003 Newsletter

DogFriendly.com's Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities in the United States - 2003

Where should you take your dog on your next vacation? DogFriendly.com has compiled its list of the Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities in the United States for this year. Our ratings are based on the number and quality of Dog-Friendly places to stay and things for you and your dog to do together. Tops on the list is Lake Tahoe, in California and Nevada. An abundance of dog-friendly inns and rentals await the dog traveler, a gondola ride in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter. The rest of the list contains four vacation spots and six of the largest cities in America. Key West and Monterey-Carmel are unique in that a car is not needed to visit these places. Each of these places is highlighted in the DogFriendly.com City Guides, with direct links below to each one.

1. Lake Tahoe, CA and NV
2. Key West, FL
3. Boston, MA
4. Chicago, IL
5. Tucson, AZ

Southernmost Point Monument,
Key West, FL

6. Washington, D.C.
7. Monterey-Carmel, CA
8. New York, NY
9. Durango, CO
10. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Regular Website Sections:

*Home Page
*All 50 States and Canadian Provinces Travel Guides
*North American City Guides
*Links to SPCA's and other Organizations
*Links to Dog Products

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Get Ready for Spring with our Dog-Friendly Travel Guides

Get ready for the Spring Travel Season with a Paperback Travel Guide Book from DogFriendly.com. Our United States and Canada Dog Travel Guide and our California and Nevada Dog Travel Guide are available for shipment usually within 24 hours. These books are packed with places to travel with your entire family, including your dog, from large cities to small vacation areas.

And now you can order three ways:

* Purchase Online, OR
* Call our Toll-Free Phone Number 1-877-475-BARK (2275) , OR
* Via Mail Order.

For More Information or to Order Click Here.

In Search of the Best National Parks for Dogs

Photo at the Grand Canyon
National Park, Arizona

National parks are one of the most visited destination spots in the United States for vacation travelers. Every year, millions of people visit their favorite national parks. But have you ever tried to bring your best friend along? The majority of national parks are not very welcoming to pets. But fortunately there are some exceptions, and some nearby dog-friendly national forests.

The general policy for national parks is that dogs must be on a 6 foot or less leash at all times, are only allowed in parking lots, in your car, or within 50 to 100 feet of the road. Most of the parks allow dogs in campgrounds and in developed areas, but there can be exceptions to these rules. The majority of national parks do not allow dogs on any hiking or walking trails, any backcountry trails, any beaches or inside buildings. There are even a few lesser known national parks that do not even allow you to drive into the park if you have a pet in your car. This does not sound like a fun vacation to most dogs and dog owners.

But before ruling out a vacation to a national park, it is important to note that some national parks have exceptions to these stringent pet rules. Parks like the Grand Canyon National Park and Acadia National Park, allow dogs on some trails and are well worth a visit even with your pooch. For the majority of national parks that do not allow dogs on any trails, a fair amount of sightseeing can still be done. Keep in mind that the majority of visitors to national parks do not venture too far from their cars. This means there are typically many sites and points of interest to see right from the comfort of your own car (where dogs are welcome). But for people who actually want to go on a hike, dog-friendly national forests are adjacent to or located nearby many national parks. More