Chewy and Abby at one of the many ornate gates

We never know whether a city or a state will be pet-friendly until we visit it.  For us, pet-friendly means that a city must have two important things: excellent on-leash walks and off-leash areas.

On the on-leash front, Savannah succeeds.  The city is meant for walking.  If you’re not walking, you’re not seeing much of the city.  So, pack a comfortable pair of shoes, a sturdy leash for your dog, and head out into the Historic District.

Pets and their owners haunt the large greenspace in the center of the city at Forsyth Park.  We also walked the dogs through the smaller greenspace at Colonial Park Cemetery closer to the riverfront and through all of the very green squares that intersect the city in a grid.

Dogs are also welcome at Bonaventure Cemetery, one of Savannah’s most beautiful attractions.

Dogs are also welcome at Skidaway Island State Park, but the park is not particularly impressive, due primarily to the noise from construction in the nearby area, and the pathways can be quite narrow.

Skidaway Island State Park

It goes without saying that you must clean up after your dog and keep them on leash at all of these places.

Savannah Six Pence pub (with its pet-friendly patio)

Though there are plenty of good walks with pets on leash, we found few good off-leash areas.  The small Savannah Dog Park and Beasley Dog Park were crowded and tiny.  The Beasley Dog Park was little larger than an average-sized suburban dog park.

We hope that Savannah continues to improve its off-leash areas because it has the potential to be a fantastic pet-friendly Southern city.