The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues

Salt Lake should follow Seattle’s Example and be more Dog-Friendly

I was recently in Seattle, Wash. for one last hoorah before the start of Fall Semester. While the city is full of fun attractions and sites, what struck me most was how dog-friendly the city is. It permits and even encourages dogs and owners to live cohesive lives in a healthy and sanitary way in an urban environment. While I understand Salt Lake City to be relatively standard in its dog friendliness, my time in Seattle has opened my eyes to possibilities that could potentially improve the happiness and welfare of city-goers and residents in our area, both human and canine.

Something that has always discouraged me from living in a major city is that it has always been too difficult to accommodate a dog, especially a larger one. No matter how well-behaved, or friendly, or clean, people just haven’t made it a point to make cities dog-friendly — until now. While other cities are starting to improve in this area, I think Seattle has set a national standard for what a dog-friendly city should look like, and residents there take advantage of it.

In Seattle, essentially anything you can do with your human friends or family you can also do with your dog. For starters, Seattle is full of off-leash dog parks. According to Seattle.gov, there are 14 of these parks in the city alone. Dogfriendly.com says that Salt Lake City has about four in the downtown area.

Next, even the nicest Seattle hotels accommodate dogs, including the Alexis Hotel, “which was named one of Travel and Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World,” according to a publication by Jessica Rhae for “You Did What With Your Weiner,” an online blog which highlights dogs and their places and roles in American society today. There are no extra fees or size limitations, and they’ll even provide a “complimentary bed and bowl with distilled water.”

It’s actually pretty common nationwide for people to eat on patios with their dogs. Seattle has taken it up a notch, however, and allowed dogs to accompany their owners inside restaurants as well. Many eateries will provide dog treats. Dogs may also take the bus with their owners, stroll around shopping malls, enjoy “dog cruises” and even keep their owners company if they want to rent a paddle board or kayak. Additionally, I noticed an abundance of pet care stores and veterinary options as we walked around the city, and, Rhae says, “There are at least 10 ‘doggie daycares’ in Seattle.”

There have been many articles written on the health benefits that having a dog can provide, such as improving life-expectancy, decreasing depression and anxiety, and just increasing overall happiness. I suppose there’s a reason people in Seattle, according to Rhae, “are more likely to own a dog than have children,” and it may be in Salt Lake’s best interest to follow Seattle’s example.

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