New York City: the best place for pets?

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Could this lead to another West Coast-East Coast cultural feud? A national pet magazine has named the Big Apple as the most ‘pet-friendly’ destination of 2008.

Animal Fair, a lifestyle magazine for pet owners, recently announced the winners of the fourth annual ‘Cesar Five Dog Bone Awards,’ as voted on by readers. Other categories included best airline, best hotel, best animal shelter, and best resort for pets; the Associated Press compiled a list of winners here.

Animal Fair editorial director Wendy Diamond says she created the awards after traveling across the United States and to Russia, Greece and Mexico with her Maltese, Lucky. She says that New York was chosen because of the more than two-dozen off-leash dog parks, including Central Park, and hundreds of hotels that accommodate animals, mainly canines.

Some New Yorkers, concentrated in the voice of the N.Y. Times, are skeptical of the designation, as outlined in this humorous blog post. In the meantime, Angelenos, known for spending millions on their pampered pets annually, will have to wait until next year to see if they make the grade

-Francisco Vara-Orta