Puppies for Sale in Florida, FL

The Sunshine State has obvious benefits for dog-lovers and their doggie companions – including great weather, beaches, and parks. But you’ll find some differences across various cities, and a few areas where we’d like to see Florida to improve as a whole. 

Safewise and Pawsafe are trusted sources for tracking animal safety. So how to they rate Florida? Safewise ranked Florida as an outstanding fifth most pet-friendly state in the country. Unfortunately, Pawsafe doesn’t agree, ranking Florida at 39th. Room for improvement, but still a great place to enjoy with your pets.

With over 663 miles of shoreline, Florida offers plenty of pet-friendly beaches for you and your dog to enjoy together. Fort De Soto Park was ranked the most pet-friendly attraction in Florida by GoPetFriendly.

39.8% of Florida households own a dog, which is right around the national average for dog ownership by state. Florida has also enacted numerous animal welfare laws to protect pets. Pawsafe ranks Florida 10th in terms of the quality of its animal cruelty laws. The majority of these laws are related to abuse, neglect, fighting, or pet care standards. 

Florida’s best cities for pups

WalletHub released a list of the 100 best cities for our furry friends, and six of the country’s most pet-friendly cities are located in Florida! Tampa and Orlando took the lead in Florida’s cities, ranking second and third overall. 

Tampa

A Trust for Public Land (TPL) study shows that Tampa has the fifth-highest number of dog parks per capita, with four dog parks per 100,000 residents. The city also has the 18th-highest number of dog-friendly restaurants, with 238. And, 65 out of every 10,000 establishments is pet-related. The city ranks in the top 35 for walkability.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is also a great place for pets. SmartAsset ranks it as the seventh most pet-friendly city in the country. Like Tampa, the city ranks in the top 20 dog parks per capita, with 2.3 parks for every 100,000 residents. 

St. Petersburg also has the third most pet businesses per capita. The city has a high concentration of pet stores and veterinary offices, with more than 85 of every 10,000 establishments being for pets. This is the sixth-highest among all U.S. cities.

Fun Fact: Miami, Tampa, and Orlando are tied for the most veterinarians per capita. 

Animal welfare & dog shelters in Florida

Yes, we do see a few areas where the state can improve. Of the 283,942 dogs and cats that entered Florida shelters in 2020, only 82.65% were saved. The nationally recognized benchmark for a “no-kill” state is a 90% save rate. We hope Florida can keep working toward a higher save rate, and more happy puppies finding a forever home.