Living in the city with a pet isn’t always easy. Access to green spaces can be tricky, and dog-waste bag dispensers are often scarce... The challenges are many. Yet some cities go the extra mile to cater to our four-legged companions and to meet the needs of their owners. For 11 years now, the 30 Millions d’Amis Foundation has been publishing a ranking of the best cities, above 100,000 inhabitants, where it’s pleasant to live with an animal.
The 2026 standings were released on Friday, April 24. So, which municipalities make up the Top 10? Which towns make the podium? Grenoble takes the crown and proves to be, in 2026, the city where animals are best integrated in urban life. The Isère commune thus dethrones Lille for the first time, Lille having topped the list in 2023, 2024, and 2025. This year, the Northern France commune finishes in third place.
On the second rung, we find an Île-de-France city. It’s Boulogne-Billancourt! The Hauts-de-Seine commune is therefore the top Île-de-France city where living with a pet is best in 2026. It’s worth noting that Boulogne-Billancourt ranked third last year.
Another city in the Île-de-France region breaks into the Top 10, and it’s Paris. It’s worth noting that the capital has opened several dog spaces in recent years.
By contrast, two Île-de-France municipalities find themselves near the bottom of the rankings, namely Montreuil (36th) in Seine-Saint-Denis, and Argenteuil (40th) in the Val-d'Oise.
To build this ranking, the 30 Million Friends Foundation weighed several criteria, such as access to public spaces (parks, gardens, and public transit), cleanliness measured by the presence of waste-bag dispensers, the commitment of local officials to animal welfare, and the management of free-roaming and stray cats. Note also that this list, initially devoted to dogs, is now open to all animals living in urban environments.
Official website
www.30millionsdamis.fr
