City loves its dogs, but loses top rank

Portland’s a no-show among country’s big five ‘Dog Towns’

By Richard D. Oxley

The Portland Tribune, Aug 14, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (4 Reader comments)

L.E. BASKOW / TRIBUNE PHOTO

Mango’s arthritis is eased by Rubi Sullivan, an animal massage therapist at Pampered Pooch in South Waterfront. The 13-year-old yellow lab has weekly appointments with Sullivan.

Mango, a 13-year-old yellow labrador, has arthritis. He pads around slowly and appears worn out. But after one session of therapeutic massage, he struts his stuff from one end of the room to the other.

His “parents,” Michael Battig and Belinda Heaton, who live in South Waterfront, just purchased a half-hour massage session for Mango, who they consider their only child.

Weekly massage sessions for aching pups are nothing new in this city’s subculture of dog-friendly amenities – Portland has everything from doggie menus at hipster hangouts to expensive doggie gear, with a cottage industry of doggie wellness services like hydrotherapy and acupuncture.

“Certain dogs like certain strokes,” said Rubi Sullivan, a certified small-animal massage therapist who sees Mango each week, either at his home or at Pampered Pooch, a grooming salon and high-end boutique on Southwest River Parkway. “When you get to know a dog, you get to know what they like best.”

Sullivan is intimately familiar with Portland’s obsession with dogs. The city is considered so dog-friendly, it was named Dog Town USA by Dog Fancy magazine in 2006, the second year the magazine ran its contest.

Chicago won the title the first year, and San Diego won in 2007. Cities can’t win two years in a row. That meant 2008 was Portland’s next shot to once again be leader of the pack.

However in Dog Fancy’s upcoming September issue, Colorado Springs, Colo., was named top dog – not the Rose City. Portland didn’t even rank in the top five this year, based on contest criteria such as the availability of dog-friendly activities, businesses, dog parks, medical care and pro-dog legislation.

So what happened? Does the city need to up its game in order to reclaim its alpha-dog status?

Dog Fancy editor Susan Chaney says not necessarily – the competition has just grown in popularity. “Portland can be considered again,” Chaney said. “This year we had a lot more cities that had not been nominated before.”

Given the increasing competition, however, it’s hard to see what else local dog owners can do to win the coveted title again.

The new breed of child

According to the American Veterinarian Medical Association, almost half of Americans consider their pets to be family members. Dogs live in 38 percent of Portland households, and there’s an average of 1.5 dogs per home. According to pdxdogblog.blogspot.com, numbers also show there are more dogs in Portland households than there are children under the age of 18.

Zach Nause, 28, who lives in Northwest Portland with his 3-year-old Chihuahua mix, Mickey, considers him to be more than just a pet.

“He’s my child,” Nause said. “Mickey is very playful and curious. He lives very much in the moment and with a treat or toy can go from melancholy to very excited, though he definitely has moods that he will stay in from time to time.”

Nause, who has a full beard, wears plaid shirts and loves to drink Miller High Life, takes Mickey wherever he goes and commonly refers to him as his “baby.”

He said that while Portland is dog-friendly, “sometimes it bothers me that poorly behaved children are allowed places, but well-behaved dogs aren’t. I make the choice to control my animal; people should make the choice to control their children.”

One venue that values the company of pets is the Tin Shed Garden Cafe in Northeast Portland, which provides pups their very own menu so they don’t have to sit idly by while their owners enjoy a meal.

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