Las Vegas Lands in America’s Top Dog Cities While Another Nevada City Crashes Near the Bottom

Nevada’s dog owners woke up this week to a ranking that has everyone talking — and not all of it is good news. A massive study comparing 500 of America’s biggest cities has revealed exactly how dog-friendly our state really is, and the results show a jaw-dropping divide.

Las Vegas proudly emerges as one of the best places in the entire country to raise a dog. But several other cities across Nevada trail far behind — in fact, one city lands so close to the bottom of the national list that it’s sparking outrage among local dog lovers.

For anyone who’s walked the trails at Sunset Park, hiked Lone Mountain, visited a dog-friendly patio in Summerlin, or rushed to an emergency vet on Tropicana or Rainbow at 2 a.m., the news that Las Vegas ranks highly won’t come as a shock.

Vegas has quietly built one of the strongest veterinary networks in the Southwest, an expanding patchwork of dog parks and urban trails, and one of the fastest-growing collections of dog-friendly restaurants, bars, and coffee shops anywhere in the region.

But what is surprising is how far Nevada’s other major cities fall behind — highlighting just how dramatically the quality of life for dogs can shift depending on which Nevada ZIP code you live in.

The ranking comes from LawnStarter and evaluates 37 real-life factors that matter when you’re actually raising a dog — not Instagrammable aesthetics.

That includes veterinary and emergency care, grooming costs, safe sidewalks, access to dog parks and walking trails, the availability of pet-friendly rentals, and how many local businesses actually welcome your dog instead of shooing them away.

These are the everyday realities Las Vegas dog owners know well: the convenience of clinics in nearly every corner of the valley, the rising number of “dogs welcome” patios from Downtown to Henderson, the new dog parks popping up in master-planned communities, and the constant fight against pet rents and breed restrictions.

To understand why Nevada’s results are so split, it helps to look at what the top-performing cities in America are doing.

This year’s #1 city, Frederick, Maryland, doesn’t make headlines often — but it should.

Frederick wins because it offers everything a city needs for dogs to thrive: abundant veterinary access, long walkable streets, safe green spaces, and housing that actually accommodates pets without burying owners in fees and restrictions.

It’s the kind of place where dog parks are part of everyday life and pet-friendly businesses aren’t niche — they’re normal.

And Frederick isn’t alone. Top cities like Asheville, Santa Fe, Bend, and Wilmington excel because they blend outdoor access with strong community infrastructure, well-maintained parks, and a genuine cultural embrace of dogs.

Even dense cities like New York score high thanks to their unmatched concentration of vets, trainers, dog daycares, and pet-friendly shops. A New York dog might not have a yard — but it has virtually everything else.

When you compare these cities to Las Vegas, something important becomes clear: Vegas actually mirrors many of the strengths of top-ranked cities.

Our veterinary network rivals that of major coastal metros. Our restaurant scene has become increasingly dog-forward, from the Arts District to Downtown Summerlin.

Our parks system — think Exploration Peak, Charlie Frias, Kellogg Zaher, Mountains Edge, Heritage Park — offers more accessible dog spaces than many cities several times our size.

Vegas even has unique offerings like the dog-friendly segments of the Wetlands Park trails, the valley’s year-round outdoor dining culture, and a rescue community that punches far above its weight.

So why aren’t we in the top 20 nationally? One word: housing. Breed bans, size limits, costly pet fees, and tight rental options all drag our score down.

But the foundation is here — and if housing policies ever shift, Las Vegas could easily break into the national top tier.

The contrast becomes more dramatic when the ranking moves north. Reno, long celebrated for its outdoor recreation and proximity to nature, lands at #183, far behind Las Vegas.

And here’s where the difference between the two cities becomes glaring. Reno has natural beauty and open space, but lacks the built infrastructure that Las Vegas has invested in for years.

Reno’s vet density is lower. It has fewer emergency options. Its restaurant and retail scene is far less dog-friendly.

And unlike Las Vegas — where you can drive 15 minutes in any direction and hit a dog park, a trailhead, a patio, or a pet boutique — Reno’s options are far more scattered and inconsistent.

The culture of dog-friendly businesses simply isn’t as developed, and pet-care costs are rising faster than amenities.

Henderson, often seen by locals as a dog-loving suburb, surprisingly comes in at #355, showing a shortage of pet-friendly rentals, fewer dog parks than expected, and higher pet-related costs.

Sparks performs even worse at #417, indicating major gaps in community support, access to care, and pet-friendly amenities.

And then the number that shocked even long-time Nevadans: North Las Vegas ranked #490, placing it among the very lowest-scoring cities in the entire United States.

According to the study, North Las Vegas struggles with limited vet access, fewer dog parks, tight housing rules, minimal pet-friendly business activity, and affordability challenges — all of which create a vastly different experience for dog owners compared to those just a few miles away in central Las Vegas or Summerlin.

Here’s the full Nevada breakdown:

• Las Vegas — #39
• Reno — #183
• Henderson — #355
• Sparks — #417
• North Las Vegas — #490

For dog owners, these aren’t abstract rankings — they shape real life.

They determine whether your dog has a park nearby, whether you can find a rental without paying $600 in pet fees, how far you must drive for emergency care, and how vibrant your community feels.

A dog in Summerlin, with its endless walking paths and patios, lives a very different life than a dog in North Las Vegas, where parks are scarce and pet services are spread thin.

But the hopeful part is this: Las Vegas proves improvement is possible.

Our city has transformed into one of the most dog-forward metros in the Southwest.

If Reno invested in more dog parks and pet-friendly businesses, if Henderson expanded housing options and community spaces, if North Las Vegas added vets, amenities, and rental flexibility — Nevada’s ranking could change dramatically.

For now, though, the message is clear. Las Vegas is leading the state by a mile, backed by a community that loves dogs loudly and publicly. The rest of Nevada has work to do — and the dogs, as always, are waiting.