Phoenix residents own more dogs and cats than other big city dwellers

We love our animals in Arizona, and we have the data to prove it.

Driving the news: The U.S. Census Bureau's American Housing Survey found that among major metro areas, Phoenix has the second-highest percentage of households with dogs.

• About 782,000 households in the Valley reported having at least one dog in their home, representing 43% of the more than 1.8 million households in Maricopa County.
• Only Riverside, California, has us beat.

By the numbers: Of the households with pups, 415,000 have one, 264,000 have two and 68,000 have three.

• And about 35,000 households reported having four or more dogs.

Yes, but: Only 21% of households in the county have cats, according to the data. That still ranks us third.

The intrigue: About 36,000 local households have small mammals as pets, 66,000 have fish, 53,000 have birds and 62,000 have reptiles, according to the data.

Get involved: Want to add a fur-ever friend to your family?

• The county shelter has hundreds of dogs in need of a home.
• The Arizona Humane Society has pups, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs up for adoption.

Please: Send us pictures of your pets. We may share them as a reprieve from election coverage next week.

• Bonus points if they're wearing a Halloween costume.