Dogs are Colorado Springs’ best friends

Colorado Springs — and much of the West — has gone to the dogs.

According to Men’s Health magazine, Colorado Springs is the most dog-friendly city in the U.S., followed by Portland, Ore., and Albuquerque. In fact, nine of the top 10 cities are in the West, with Denver coming in at No. 6.

The Springs’ No. 1 ranking is good news for dog lovers.

“Like a lot of people in this town, I kind of see them as my kids,” Humane Society spokeswoman Ann Davenport said of her two Australian shepherds.

The magazine based its rankings on seven categories, including pet stores per capita and lowest incidence of heartworm, a major threat to dogs’ health. The city ranked first for the most number of boarding and day care facilities for pets, and fourth for number of dog parks and vet practices.

But it’s the outdoors that makes Colorado Springs a puppy paradise, said Tom Hilfers, owner of the doggie day camp Canine Campus.

“I’ve never seen a place where dogs are as much a part of the family as here,” Hilfers said.