Dog Fancy Cover

Dog Fancy Article

Dog Fancy Magazine named the city of Glendale regional runner-up in the Southwest in its 2013 DogTown USA ranking. With a dog population of 43,000, the city prides itself on offering dog-friendly businesses, attractions and amenities.

The article highlights Glendale’s four-legged community features such as two special dog parks that offer agility equipment;  an annual Dog Days of Summer event, sponsored by the Glendale Convention & Visitors Bureau and downtown merchants; dining experiences for pet owners at various restaurants with patio seating and city dogs who work for various programs in the community. For example, the Glendale Library has a reading dog program, called Read with Jessie, the loveable Golden Retriever, at Foothills Library in which children can practice reading to a dog, helping them become more comfortable reading. The next sessions are Sept. 11 and Sept. 25 for children 5 years and older. To reserve a spot, call 623.930.3837.

The Glendale Fire Department has two working dogs; Gizzi accompanies Fire’s public education manager to schools to teach children fire safety measures, and Topaz serves as a crisis response dog, helping those impacted by traumatic situations. In addition, Glendale Fire carries special FIDO pet rescue bags, supported by community donations. The FIDO bag, created by a Glendale firefighter, are medical bags containing customized oxygen masks and other medical supplies specifically made to care for animals in emergency situations. The bags were placed on Glendale fire trucks in 2007 after the Sun Valley Animal Shelter made a generous donation of $4,000 to fund the FIDO bag program.  Glendale firefighters, having saved numerous animals using the FIDO bag equipment, believe the bags are a necessity since 70% of households have pets.

Projects and activities for local dogs are not the only reason that Glendale was selected by the magazine, as part of the process included evaluating whether Glendale serves as an optimal pet destination.

Approximately 58 percent of pet owners now travel with their pets, and dogs lead the pack as the most popular pet travel companion, according to Petsweekly.com.

“This information reflects an emerging travel trend, showing the importance of outreaching to visitors who travel with their favorite canine companion. For example, 78 percent of pet owners choose a hotel due to its pet-friendly policies and the Glendale CVB offers a list of pet-friendly hotels in the area,” said Lorraine Pino, Glendale CVB manager.

Arizona Cities and Towns work year-round to produce events that bring together both residents and visitors alike to celebrate everything from major holidays to small-scale celebrations. Events are an important component of prosperous and viable communities: they attract tourism, enhance economic growth and create positive quality-of-life for residents. Throughout the next several months, cities and towns across Arizona will be hosting unique and exciting events. Here are a few you won’t want to miss: 

Sierra Vista – Hummingbird Banding

Hold tiny hummingbirds in your hands in Sierra Vista! From April through October, more than 10 species of hummingbirds migrate through Southern Arizona while en route from their tropical winter retreats or northern nesting grounds. Known as the “Hummingbird Capital of the United States,” Sierra Vista is home to two hummingbird banding sites, giving visitors an up-close and hands-on experience as researchers capture, band, record vital statistics, then release these brilliantly colored birds. Find a schedule and learn more at                          www.VisitSierraVista.com

Phoenix- Night Flight Golf

Grab your glow-in-the-dark golf clubs and head down to Palo Verde Golf Course. The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is offering golfers a unique way to escape the daytime heat this summer with night golf at the city’s Palo Verde 9-hole course. The course will be lined with glow lights and players will receive a glow necklace and glow ball. Each event will run in a tournament format as a four-person scramble and include fun prizes and a goodie bag for each player. For a full schedule of upcoming night golf outings and to register, visit www.phoenix.gov/golf.

Tempe – Healing Field

To remember and honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Tempe will hold the annual Healing Field Tribute at Tempe Beach Park. The public is invited to view the display of American flags representing the victims of that terrible day. A moving display of patriotism and unity, Tempe’s Healing Field Memorial is the nation’s longest consecutive running event.
Flags will be placed at Tempe Beach Park Tuesday, Sept. 10 through Saturday, Sept. 14. A memorial ceremony will be held at 5:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and a candlelight vigil will be held at 7 p.m. that evening. For more information, visit www.Tempe.gov/HealingField

Avondale- Tres Rios Festival

The city of Avondale took one of its natural resources and turned it into an outdoor community celebration. The Tres Rios Nature Festival is one-of-a-kind, focusing on the rich diversity of wildlife, habitat, history and ecology of the Gila, Salt and Agua Fria Rivers. The festival, which began 10 years ago, is an exciting opportunity for the Avondale community and visitors to learn and embrace amazing wildlife habitat and history of these systems. Attendees can participate in boating, paddleboarding, fishing, archery, hiking and wildlife viewing. The Tres Rios Nature Fall Festival will be held on Oct. 26. Find out more at                                                                         http://www.TresRiosNatureFestival.com