If your dog is your BFF, then check out these super dog-friendly suburbs, which cater to our furriest family members.
By Danielle Braff
Frankfort
Your pooch will soon become just as obsessed with Frankfort as we are since nearly everywhere you turn, you’ll spot an amenity just for him. In addition to a handful of vets based here, there are a whopping nine parks—and dogs are allowed to roam all of them (on a leash, obvi). There are also adorable pet stores and groomers to make sure your dog is living his best life.
Lake Bluff
This is essentially dog heaven. Lake Bluff brags that it’s got the most parks per capita in all of the Chicago suburbs. It’s also got the second most vets per capita. They sure love their dogs here.
But that’s not all. If your dog needs a break from all those parks (it’s tough to be a dog), then he’s also invited to the beach. Sunrise Beach is dog-friendly as long as your pooch has a Lake Bluff Park District tag.
Barrington
Does your dog love to hike? Then take him to Barrington, where he can wander through the Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve, Baker’s Lake Nature Preserve and Langendorf Park. There are also pet stores, vets and groomers.
Crete
This tiny village of fewer than 9,000 is as good to its pets as it is to its residents. Crete has four parks, three vets, two pet stores—along with groomers, dog walkers and trails.
Wilmette
This stunningly gorgeous suburb has long been hailed for its beauty. And the natural landscape, complete with 12 parks, is something that your dog will love, too. There’s also an animal hospital, nearly a dozen vets and a great local pet store.
Lemont
Great for older dogs, Lemont has vet upon vet upon animal hospital upon vet. It’s a tiny village, but it’s got six veterinary clinics, along with groomers, pet sitters and pet stores.
Oakbrook
Let your dog run wild and free in the Mayslake Forest Preserve and Dog Park. The 90-acre preserve houses historical buildings, a trail, a fishing spot and an off-leash dog area. The dog park is over 4 acres of mowed grass with a double gate system. Oakbrook is so dog-friendly that they have a special time for dogs to meet and take pictures with Santa. They also have plenty of vets, pet stores, groomers and doggy daycare centers.
Hoffman Estates
This burb has not one but two dog parks. Our fave is Bo’s Run, which even has dog agility equipment for your pooch. If your dog is small, take him to Freedom Run Dog Park, which has a separate area just for the small dogs. BYO picnic, as there are picnic tables here.
Hoffman Estates also has a handful of dog-friendly restaurants, hotels—along with the standard vets, stores, groomers and daycares.
Batavia
Your dog will drag you to Bark Park, a 3-acre fenced-in dog park that has shade and a small pavilion. The dog park has agility equipment and a swimming pond. When he gets tired, Fido can watch the nearby games at the softball and baseball fields.
There are hundreds of towns to choose from. How do you figure it all out? You simply don’t, without getting a Suburban Jungle Strategist to help you through it all. Schedule here for your strategy session with our innovative suburbs strategy team. All services are completely free.