Phillyist Wants to Know: How Humane Are We?

The Humane Society of the United States has just released its Humane Index of the twenty-five most humane cities in the country. Philly comes in more or less in the middle, at #14. Twelve categories were evaluated when making the list, including the number of mentions of animals in local periodicals, the number of fur retailers, the percentage of pet stores selling puppies, the number of vegetarian restaurants, and local engagement with the Humane Society. Having worked with a few animal adoption programs in the area, we can certainly say that Philly's not animal unfriendly, by any means, but we suppose there's always room for improvement.

So, readers: what do you think about the way animals are treated in Philadelphia? Is the study right on the money or just totally full of it? Are there criteria you think should have been discounted? Criteria you think should have been taken into account? Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts!