Los Angeles and New York City have always had a sort of friendly rivalry going on when it comes to everything from pizza style to how late the bars are open. But which city loves dogs more? According to a snazzy new infographic from pet-sitting community DogVacay, that might not quite be the right question to ask — both cities definitely adore their pooches — but there are a few key differences in how our furry companions live in each place. Ready for a few details? Here we go!
Interestingly, the second-most popular dog in both locations is the chihuahua. While it doesn't surprise me that Angelinos love this breed (a view for which I can probably blame Paris Hilton — RIP, Tinkerbell), I'll admit that I wasn't expecting New Yorkers to have an equally fond place in their hearts for them. During the decade in which I lived in the city, I saw a lot of dogs being walked on the street; comparatively few of them were chihuahuas, though. Obviously one person's experience (in this case, mine) isn't indicative of an entire city's experience — maybe I just never hung out in New York's chihuahua-friendly neighborhoods — but still. You'd think I'd have seen more of them, no? In any event, though, it looks like small and mid-sized dogs reign in NYC and L.A., which makes sense when you think about it: Small city apartments are much more comfortable for smaller dogs than large ones.
There's a ton of overlap when it comes to the top names in each city. Although of course there are a few that are unique to each location — for girl puppies, Molly, Maggie, and Roxy (for the swimwear company) in L.A., and Penny, Stella, and Coco (for Chanel) in New York; with boy pooches being named Milo, Leo, and Dexter in L.A., and Toby, Henry, and Teddy in New York — duplicates still abound. Both cities, for example, love names like Lucy and Lola for girls and Max and Charlie for boys.
And as for how folks in each city take care of their four-legged friends while they're away? Pet sitters number 1,982 in L.A. and 2,511 in New York. Angelinos apparently book about twice the number of nights on DogVacay than their East Coast analogues.
Check out the full infographic for more, including the most dog-friendly neighborhoods in each city.
Image: Courtesy DogVacay
