Idaho Named In Top Five Least Pet-Friendly States; I Smell BS

A recent "study" on pet-friendly states has revealed that Idaho ranks lower than forty-four others across the country. Based on the fact that everyone I know in Idaho who owns a pet completely adores them, I have to chalk these findings up to complete and total bull%$#@.

A recent 2022 release by safewise.com (I haven't heard of them either) lists the Gem State at 45th on the country's most (and least) pet-friendly states. The only states that were found to be less pet-loving than Idaho were Connecticut, Montana, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. Hawaii and Alaska ended up in the bottom five out of default due to a lack of data. The Idaho Humane Society also shared this "scientific data."

The criteria used by these "researchers" to determine this list include the number of pet-friendly dwellings, total pet population, the average number of pets left in cars annually, veterinary reports, cruelty data, and other sources. The top five states that reportedly treat pets with the most compassion and love are Indiana (1), Tennessee (2), North Carolina (3), Nevada (4), and Vermont (5).

To be honest, it's almost annoying how much people in Idaho love their pets. I'm an old-school dog owner. I love dogs, but you won't see me rushing them to the vet's office unless they are in obvious distress. So many people have their dogs on prescription medications, hemp oils, and other crazy concoctions because they truly believe they are helping to prolong their animal's life. I respect this way of thinking, but in my home, a human's comfort is the most important thing.

I would even argue that many of my friends in Idaho treat their pets way better than they do immediate human family members. Idahoans take their dogs everywhere because they treat them like family, which I can respect.