NYC Is America's Puppy Haven With Nation's Most Dog Parks: Report

NEW YORK — Big Apple dogs should bark for joy. Pups in New York City have more places to run free than any other big city in the United States, a new nationwide ranking shows.

The city is home to 145 off-leash dog areas, or nearly 18 percent of the 810 dog parks in America's 100 largest cities, according to the Trust for Public Land's report released Thursday.

The city's dominance comes amid great growth in the number of dog parks across the country. This year's total marks a roughly 74 percent increase from 2009, when there were just 466 dog parks in the 100 biggest cities, the report shows.

"Certainly it’s become more socially acceptable to have a dog in (a) New York City apartment and out and about," said Carter Strickland, the trust's New York State director. "And I think a lot of folks rescue dogs like I did."

The ranking is based on the trust's annual City Park survey. The survey's findings are used in the organization's City Park Facts and ParkScore reports, which offer insight into park systems across the U.S.

Despite its abundance of canine domains, New York City lags when it comes to the number of dog parks per capita. It has just 1.7 for every 100,000 residents, the report shows, ranking 27th in the nation. Boise, Idaho leads the pack in that regard with 5.7 dog parks per 100,000 residents.

"We have the most number so there’s a lot of spots to go to, but there’s a lot of people as well," Strickland said. "It shows that there’s probably room to sort of grow."

Dog parks have become more widespread as demand for them has grown, according to Strickland. They make good amenities because they minimize conflicts between pup owners and others who want to use parks for different recreational activities, he said.

They can also be tucked into places that might not lend themselves to other kinds of parks, said Strickland, who takes his 9-year-old pitbull to the Hillside Dog Park in Brooklyn Heights.

"Dog parks are a great way to meet people," Strickland said. "I’m a dog owner and I probably meet more people walking my dog around then when I was pushing my kids around in a stroller."