Not So Pet Friendly- North Carolina City Ranks Last For Pet Friendliness

I don't currently have a pet, but I am a dog person through and through. I had my baby for almost 18 years and loved him more than most people in my life. I loved taking him on car rides, and if there was somewhere he could go. That being said I think people these days take it a little too far. Where that line is? I don't know but I feel confident the grocery store crosses it. All this to say, I'm in favor of pet friendliness, but I do think there is a line. So while it's surprising that on a ranking of the most pet-friendly cities, a North Carolina city was second to last, I don't find it the worst thing in the world.

Animals and their companionship can be a great stress reliever. Heck, I drove to a friend's house last week when she wasn't even there just to spend a few minutes cuddling her dogs. (Highly recommend friends who will let you do that by the way). So it makes sense that nearly 86.9 million households are home to a pet or pets.

And just like you want to live in the best place for yourself and your kids, your pets are a part of the family too. This is why our friends at WalletHub recently conducted a study on the pet-friendliness of cities across the US.

Those of us who own pets want to live in places where our furry (or not so much) friends can enjoy long, healthy lives. So with that in mind, WalletHub "compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 23 key metrics." This included stats like veterinarian costs, the number of pet businesses per capita, and walkability.

And Durham, this study wasn't good for you. Bull City ranked 99th out of 100 cities for pet friendliness. It wasn't all terrible for the state though. Raleigh was 21st but it was the only city in the top half of these rankings.

Additionally, we had Greensboro 54th, Charlotte 80th, and Winston Salem 84th. Raleigh presumably ranked so much higher in pet friendliness than the rest of the state (purely my speculation) due to being home to a Veterinary School at NC State University.

The big thing we as a state could work on overall seems to be outdoor spaces to take your pets to. I don't think Charlotte or Raleigh for that matter are particularly lacking in this area. But I'm not an expert by any means.

Thanks to our friends at WalletHub for sharing their research with us. You can read the full study and methodology here.

What are South Carolina's most dog friendly restaurants? We've got the answer. And listen, I love dogs. I really do. And I'm on board (if your dog can handle it and is happy) for taking dogs to places like breweries. Perhaps even somewhere with an outdoor patio to eat. But I'm a little more hazy on that one. But what I saw this weekend in Blowing Rock, was two different dogs one in a stroller and the other just laying under the table, inside in a restaurant. I'm sorry the line has to be drawn somewhere. Your dog will be ok at home for an hour by themselves. These were not service animals, just dogs that were accompanying their owners to dine inside a sit-down restaurant.

I get it. When my dog was alive I did wish I could take him everywhere. He loved to go to the drive-thru, the bank,  or a pet-friendly store like Petsmart. But I never took him into a general store and certainly never to a restaurant. And in all honesty, he would have been miserable at a restaurant. He hated sitting still in a new place, would have been trying to eat everyone's food, and the heat outside would have bothered him as well. But despite my personal feelings about taking your dog out to eat, numerous people do it. This is what led Yelp to create a list of the most dog-friendly restaurants in America. And three of South Carolina's most dog-friendly restaurants made the list.

Here's how Yelp says the list was curated: "We identified businesses in the restaurants and food categories with a large concentration of reviews mentioning "dog friendly," then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords between June 1, 2020, and June 1, 2023. If a chain appeared on the list more than once, we only included the highest-rated location. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of June 1, 2023." You can view the full list of 100 restaurants here or keep reading to see South Carolina's Top Dog-Friendly Restaurants.

Location: Folly Beach

This popular breakfast and lunch spot is described as a laid-back beach cafe. On the menu, you'll find huge breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, bloody marys, and coffee. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

Tidal Creek Brewhouse is your go to spot in Myrtle Beach for specialty craft beer, freshly brewed coffee and Lowcountry food. And with indoor and outdoor spaces, including a dog run it's the perfect place to bring your furry friend. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

The Sneaky Beagle describes itself best in this way, a little weird, a lot of fun, and always fresh. And with Beagle in the name you know they are dog friendly! Get more info here.