The renowned pet magazine Dog Fancy welcomed readers to propose cities in America for the DogTown USA 2014 competition.

When the periodical’s editors closed the nominations, they began researching and analyzing data from the nominated cities concerning dog-friendly places, business and activities.

One city stood out from all the rest: Austin, Texas.

“When stacked against the country’s top nominees for 2014, Austin stood out above the best,” Dog Fancy said in a press release.

The city was far better than Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Charleston, South Carolina and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ernie Slone, editor of Dog Fancy magazine said:

Thanks to innovative programs and dedicated animal lovers in both public and private organizations, the Austin community saves the lives of more than 90 percent of the animals who enter shelters, making Austin the largest metropolitan city to sustain a No-Kill goal

Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez thanked the magazine for the great privilege saying:

Years of dedication and hard work on behalf of the Austin Animal Center, Austin Pets Alive!, and so many other valuable partner organizations and volunteers have helped us achieve our animal welfare goals and fostered a pet-friendly environment citywide.

Apart from honoring the city, the magazine will present Austin with a $5,000 check during a Strut Your Mutt event on September 13.

“We at Dog Fancy are inspired by Austin’s intent to improve the lives of dogs and hope the award serves as an inspiration to our readers, as well as to other cities,” concluded Sloane.