Flagstaff continues to score high ratings in its friendliness to pets.
The city has long been praised by visitors and residents alike, renowned for refreshing high-mountain air, pristine skies, adventurous foot trails and welcoming restaurants and accommodations.
The bounty of these gifts has also benefited the happiness and health of the countless pets that both live here or visit the town.
Earlier in the year, a USA Today Blueprint study analyzed six data points to arrive at the most dog-friendly vacation destinations in the U.S. The report was published on March 13 and revealed that Flagstaff is named the overall best destination for a dog-friendly vacation, receiving a perfect score in the analysis based on available data.
More good news for pets came in a Sept. 4 news release from Discover Flagstaff, the official profile for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau, when it announced that Flagstaff has earned City Certification through the Better Cities For Pets program from Mars Petcare.
“We love our pets in Flagstaff and the City Certification makes clear that we welcome four-legged visitors to our mountain city as much as we welcome the more than five million travelers we greet annually,” said Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett.
The City of Flagstaff website lists some of the highlights of the city’s attractions for pets: “Dine at more than 20 pet-friendly restaurants and breweries before you take ‘paws’ to relax in one of Flagstaff’s more than 50 pet-friendly accommodations.
Take advantage of the 132 pet-friendly trails Flagstaff has to offer while you’re here, too,” it states.
To top it off, a free dog bowl can be redeemed at the Flagstaff Visitor Center when you show proof of accommodation.
According to the Discover Flagstaff press release, pets are more and more viewed as members of the family, and at least 60% of households in the U.S. and Canada include a pet.
Discover Flagstaff Media Relations and Marketing Project Manager Ryan Randazzo said that Mars Petcare has clear guidelines for achieving City Certification through the Better Cities For Pets program.
“In addition to some of the expected criteria, such as whether a city includes pet-friendly amenities in parks and green spaces, there are some interesting aspects to the certification,” he said. “Some of the things Mars measures for this certification include whether a city has partners that collaborate to address homeless pets and whether businesses support pets at work. Mars also takes into account whether pet owners have support to make responsible choices for pets and whether there is support to help people keep their pets during tough times.”
City Certification was launched in 2019 by Mars Petcare, “a leading provider of high quality, science-backed nutritional and therapeutic health products,” according to its website, all with the goal of making “A Better World for Pets.”
As an extension of the Better Cities For Pets program, which works with government, businesses and nonprofits to help communities be pet-friendly,
City Certification recognizes and celebrates those cities that have put programs and policies in place to make life better for people and pets.
City Certification was “created in partnership with Civic Design Center, a leader in designing public spaces and incorporates input from government and animal welfare experts,” according to the Discover Flagstaff news release.
At Mars Petcare, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Lisa Campbell explained the mission of the City Certification initiative. “We established the Better Cities For Pets certification to celebrate cities that are creating positive and welcoming environments for people and their pets and encourage more cities to recognize the benefits of our four-legged friends.”
About 166 cities across the nation made the City Certification list. In addition to Flagstaff, other Arizona cities on the list include Tucson, Tempe and Phoenix.
“Another important aspect of certification is that it allows cities, now including Flagstaff, to apply for grants to continue improving and becoming more welcoming to pets,” said Randazzo. FBN
For a list of cities with this certification, visit https://www.bettercitiesforpets.com/government-official/.
Courtesy Photo: With dogs hitching a ride in bike baskets downtown and enjoying the mountain air in alpine meadows, USA Today has named Flagstaff as the overall best destination for a pet-friendly vacation.
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