Kelowna named pet-friendliest city in Canada

KELOWNA – Kelowna has been named the most pet-friendly city in all of Canada.

The data, released by Canadian Dogs Annual, was calculated per capita and looked at access to veterinary care, training opportunities, pet sitters as well as the number of pet-friendly restaurants and accommodations.

“We even took into consideration air quality and the number of off leash parks and beaches,” editor-in-chief Dana Cox says in a media release.

Half of the cities in the top ten are all from B.C., which was named the pet-friendliest province.

Publisher Tim Hockley says the number of amenities and services available to pet owners across the country have increased in recent years.

“There’s definitely been an upward trend towards more pet-friendly services,” he says, “and there’s no question that’s a direct result of how important our companion animals have become to us. It’s a scenario where everyone, including the dogs, win.”

Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Kingston, Chilliwack, Guelph, Kamloops, Peterborough and Charlottetown were also on the list.

The Canadian Dogs Annual 2015 will be available at book stores and newsstands November 25.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.