This Southern City is Home to the Most Dog Lovers of Anywhere in the World

Tara Massouleh McCay
·2 min read
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dogs running
dogs running

Getty Images / dageldog

You can never have too many dogs. At least that seems to be the case for residents of Houston, Texas. A study conducted by Protect My Paws, a pet insurance comparison platform, found that Houston is home to the world's highest ratio of dogs to humans at 52.1 dogs per 100 humans. That's more than one dog for every two humans.

The Petting Capitals study used academic reports and official government statistics to compare dog densities in 54 world cities. Using two units of measurement, most dogs per square kilometer and most dogs per 100 humans, the study gives a good idea of cities where you're more likely to run into a pup to pet. Based on the findings, America is a dog lover's paradise, but only one Southern city stood out as a hot spot for four-legged friends.

With about 1.2 million dogs, averaging 52.1 dogs for every 100 humans, Houston topped the list. Bern, Switzerland had the next highest ratio of dogs to humans with 47.7 dogs for every 100 humans, followed by Havana, Cuba with 40.6 dogs per 100 humans. American cities filled five of the top 10 spots, with San Diego and San Francisco coming in 4th and 5th and Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia rounding out the list at eight through 10, respectively.

When it came to cities with the highest density of dogs per square kilometer, Houston once again represented the American South, coming in at 9th with 773 dogs per square kilometer. Paris, France, which earned the top spot, more than tripled that number with 2,857 dogs per square kilometer. Buenos Aires, Argentina and Bern, Switzerland rounded out the top three, while other U.S. cities, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City came in 5th, 7th, and 10th.

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Thanks for repping the dog-loving South, Houston! We think you're just paw-some!