Recently in Dog Fancy magazine Category

Woo-hoo, let's hear it for Colorado Springs!

The city of 372,437 has been named the 2008 DogTown USA by Dog Fancy Magazine.

"Some cities clearly roll out the red carpet for dogs and their owners," Dog Fancy editor Susan Chaney said. "Each year, it's gratifying to read about so many organizations and individuals who work toward making thier cities welcoming to dogs."

Each year the magazine calls for readers to send in nominations for what they think is America's most dog-friendly cities.

The contest criteria: plenty of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and thier owners, high vet-to-dog ratios, abundant pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect pets.

Turns out there are three dog parks in Colorado Springs, in addition to three off-leash hiking areas (and few states offer more gorgeous landscapes for hikes with your dog).

From the Colorado springs web page: "The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department does realize that dogs enjoy having areas where they can run and 'burn off some steam,' so we offer several off-leash areas."

Runners-up included two Southern California cities, Huntington Beach and Long Beach. The magazine hits the stands on June 29.