VA Ranks Among Most Dog-Friendly States For Travel In 2024

VIRGINIA — Dogs and their owners should know Virginia is a top destination for travelers with pooches, home to the sixth most dog-friendly hotels and restaurants.

The folks at Showsight Magazine — a publication that serves dog breeders, handlers and lovers of dogs — have analyzed the number of dog-friendly hotels and restaurants in each state to reveal the best states for a vacation with your dog.

The Commonwealth ranks No. 6 overall for the amenities available to dogs and their people, including dog-friendly services, activities and facilities.

The top 10 dog-friendly states are:

1. Rhode Island
2. Connecticut
3. Delaware
4. New Hampshire
5. North Carolina
6. Virginia
7. New York
8. New Jersey
9. Massachusetts
10. Maryland

The least dog-friendly state is Alaska, according to Showsight, which says: “Due to its large size, dog services, activities, and facilities are hard to come by in Alaska. This state also has no laws against dog theft.”

The top 10 least dog-friendly states are:

1. Alaska
2. North Dakota
3. Montana
4. Wyoming
5. South Dakota
6. Nevada
7. New Mexico
8. Nebraska
9. Idaho
10. Utah

More fur-family member facts to know:

• Rhode Island ranked top for dog services, dog-friendly facilities, and dog-friendly activities. Rhode Island is also one of the 15 states that have laws against dog theft.
• Less than a third of states in the US have laws against stealing dogs. Most states charge small fines with little to no jail time. California and Louisiana base the penalty on the monetary value of the dog. Virginia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New York, and Mississippi are believed to have the best laws against stealing dogs.
• The states topping the lists for factors in the dog services category include Michigan and California, tied for having the most dog groomers (314). Texas has the most dog daycare centers (276) and the most pet stores (233).

Methodology

Showsight Magazine said it used Google Maps to find the number of dog groomers, veterinary clinics, doggy daycare centers, and pet stores in each US state.

Other information came from Tripadvisor to find the number of pet-friendly hotels per US state.

And they used BringFido to find the number of dog-friendly restaurants per US state.