A new study ranks Garland as 11th among "Best American Cities for Dog Lovers." With our new dog park and the grand opening of the animal shelter on the horizon, it's only going to get better.
The study of the 153 largest cities in the United States was published Nov. 19 by 24/7 Tempo, a subsidiary of financial news and opinion provider 24/7 Wall St. Data was compared to see which cities offered the best outdoor access, cost and climate. Garland was ranked No. 8 among the 153 cities in outdoor access.
"The new state-of-the-art animal shelter opening soon will demonstrate why we strive to be the best,” Animal Services Director Art Munoz said.
“Every day we seek new and innovative ways to make our community of animals happy," Animal Services Department Outreach Coordinator Amy Dunphy said.
In addition to the new dog-specific facility at Central Park and Garland's numerous other open spaces, dogs are welcome at many city restaurants' outdoor patio areas -- including Ferah's and Wildwood at Firewheel Town Center and several with views of Lake Ray Hubbard, such as Flying Saucer, Primo's Tex-Mex and TLC on the Lake.
Garland ranked tops among Dallas County cities in the national study, with Irving coming in at No. 33. Seventeen of the top 50 cities in the survey are from Texas and Florida, but the only other North Texas city to make the top 50 was Grand Prairie at No. 6.