Portuguese Water Dog Puppies for Sale in Nevada, NV

The great state of Nevada ranks right about average for dog-friendliness. Areas of improvement include boosting their no-kill shelter percentage and increasing pet-friendly establishments. But in almost every other metric, Nevada is a wonderful state for dogs!

Pawsafe conducted a study to rank each state according to its pet-friendliness, and they ranked Nevada at 27th. The study evaluated several factors, including animal cruelty laws, pet-friendly accommodations, and the number of dog parks and hiking trails. 

In a similar study, Safewise ranked Nevada as the 22nd most pet-friendly state. The state received strong marks for its animal welfare laws related to abuse, neglect, fighting, or pet care standards.

Does Nevada have pet-friendly cities?

Wallethub reviewed the 100 largest cities in the country to rank them by pet-friendliness. Here’s how a few Nevada cities stacked up.

Las Vegas

In their study, Las Vegas was the 4th most pet-friendly city. It ranked 1st for outdoor pet-friendliness, 32nd for pet budget, and 34th for pet health and wellness. Furthermore, the city had the most dog services and veterinarians per capita.

In a Trust for Public Land study, Las Vegas ranked 7th for most dog parks, with 3.9 parks per 100,000 residents. 

The most popular dog breeds in Las Vegas are Chihuahuas, Shi Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, Labradors, and Goldens.

North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno

There are a few other Nevada cities on the list. North Las Vegas was the 31st most pet-friendly city. It ranked 15th for outdoor pet-friendliness, 45th for pet budget, and 80th for pet health and wellness. However, the city had the fewest dog-friendly restaurants per capita. 

The study also found Henderson to have the fourth-fewest animal shelters per capita. On the other hand, Reno has the most pet businesses per capita.

A Trust for Public Land (TPL) study reviews the nation’s 100 largest cities to see which has the most dog parks per capita. In the study, Henderson is ranked 3rd with 5 parks per 100,000 residents. There are 15 total dog parks in the city.

Reno was 40th on the list, with 1.2 parks per the same number of people.

A few more facts for dog lovers in Nevada

Thirty-six percent of Nevada residents own a dog. This puts the state below the 40% national average. 

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the most popular dogs in Nevada are Labradors, Bulldogs, and German Shepherds.

Animal welfare & dog shelters in Nevada

Nevada saved 40,894 dogs and cats during 2020. Only around 3,615 animals were killed in the past year. Out of 30 animal shelters, 18 have a no-kill policy. The overall save rate for the state is 84%. Nevada has a bit of work to reach the 90% benchmark needed to be a no-kill state.