How pet-friendly KC really is, by the numbers
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A new study ranked Kansas City just 32nd out of 100 cities for pet-friendliness. We think it's wrong.
Why it matters: More than a third of renters nationwide say they'll only consider homes that allow their pets, per an Apartments.com survey, which makes a city's dog scene part of its pitch.
By the numbers: The WalletHub study, released this month, graded cities on 23 metrics, and KC's report card splits sharply down the middle.
- The city placed seventh nationally for pet budget, making it one of the cheapest big cities in America to own a pet, but 76th for pet health and wellness, a category bundling vets, pet businesses and pet-friendly rentals per capita.
- Cross-state rival St. Louis finished sixth overall, 26 spots ahead of KC.
Yes, but: The grade has a blind spot. The study counts only the city proper, per its methodology, and life with a dog across this metro looks friendlier than 32nd, starting at home.
- Apartments.com lists 5,607 pet-friendly rentals in KCMO, many with dog parks and pet washing stations built in.
- Once out the door, a dog's options multiply. BringFido counts 146 dog-friendly restaurants in KCMO and 19 more in KCK, including Woodyard Bar-B-Que, where dogs get their own fenced yard while owners work through their burnt ends.
- Off-leash space stretches even farther, from KC Parks' four dog parks open 5am to midnight to Shawnee Mission Park's 53 acres with a swim beach and Olathe's 30-acre Heritage Park field past the city line.
Zoom in: The social scene found new footing this year. After riverfront favorite Bar K closed last summer, City Dogs, a dog park and bar in the Crossroads, became the metro's marquee dog hangout.
- City Dogs also hosts the off-leash tailgate at the Royals' Bark at the Park games, with the season's last on Sept. 23.
💭 My thought bubble: Rankings that stop at the city line will always sell this metro short. KC's dog scene sprawls across two states and a dozen suburbs, and no scorecard seems to know what to do with that.
Does KC deserve better than 32nd? Reply to this email and let us know!