A recent article from Realtor.com, our national trade organization, revealed that Americans love their pets, and especially their dogs, and even more so their dogs in Scottsdale, Arizona. Scottsdale was named one of the top ten (4th place) cities in the country for dog ownership.http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-10-cities-for-dog-lovers/
More and more clients these days are asking where the nearest dog park is in the community they’re considering buying into. The neighborhood where I live seems to annually request the HOA to provide a dog park even though there are miles upon miles of already existing grass and walking paths.
According to www.HumaneSociety.org, a 2015-2016 survey reported:
- There are 78,000,000 dogs in the U.S.
- 44% of all homes have at least one dog
- 50% of all pet owners own small dogs
- 66.7% of dog owners consider their dogs to be family members
- $1436 is the average amount spent on veterinary care per year
- 69% of Scottsdale homes have at least one dog
Referring to Scottsdale, the article shared this about the city as it relates to dogs:
- This wealthy suburb of Phoenix has no shortage of retirees who can spend all day with Fido alfresco. The city boasts a long list of restaurants and cafes with extensive outdoor dining for you and your furball, along with 20 bars where dogs can sit alongside your bar stool. (Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.)
- There’s also an abundance of pet shops that cater to petite dogs. Check out miniature frilly dresses and collars at Mackie’s Parlour, or Louis Vuitton knockoff dog toys, plush sports car-shaped dog beds, and rhinestone collars at
Oh My Dog. But please don’t go overboard-dogs embarrass easily.
Buyer beware about this! Some communities limit the number and/or size of dogs. That information is found in the CC&R’s (neighborhood rules) and is an important read even if you don’t own pets. Some clients of ours who have three dogs recently sold their home in McCormick Ranch, and purchased a home a little further north in a community that limited the number of pets to two. Our clients spoke in person with the President of the HOA about their three, and they were given approval. That’s good, because that rule could have been the proverbial deal killer.
