It’s late morning on a perfect mid-August day and Michele Seier emerges from her west-side home with Marley, a 3-year-old goldendoodle. If they turn right, a moderate walk will take them to the southern reaches of Garden of the Gods or Midland Trail. Straight ahead is Red Rock Canyon Open Space, and a short drive from their home, Bear Creek Dog Park and dog-friendly Old Colorado City.

Seier is not surprised at all to learn that Colorado Springs’ animal attraction is strong enough to have earned the city a nod from WalletHub, which ranked it the nation’s third best for pet owners.

“People here are very friendly, and everybody is pet-friendly,” said Seier, who has lived in the Springs since 1987. People just seem to understand that, “as long as you have a happy dog . ”

The wealth of outdoor activities available to pets and their owners wasn’t the only factor influencing the rankings report by the personal-finance website, whose frequent “Best & Worst” reports have made it the unofficial arbiter of civic quality in America. To assess the “creature-friendliness” of the 100 most populated U.S. cities, WalletHub also looked at statistical data from a range of sources to gauge the level of access to pet health care and wellness, as well as the overall affordability of services. Depending on where a pet owner lives, costs for required licenses, grooming and medical care can range from the low hundreds to several thousand dollars, the report found.

“It is important to understand that owning a pet/companion is a long-term personal, emotional and financial commitment. However, you need not ‘break the bank’ while still properly caring for your companion,” said Joan Schaffner, an associate professor at George Washington University Law School, on the WalletHub website. “The largest expense will involve veterinary services, especially as your companion ages, but pet insurance may help reduce such expenses.”

The Springs came in 36th for overall affordability of pet ownership, sixth for health care and wellness, and 14th for outdoor environment and amusement.

Among the factors considered for the report, the Springs ranked highest in number of dog parks per 100,000 residents (16th), veterinarians (14th), pet-friendly hotels (14th) and pet caretakers (seventh). Among the cities included in the survey, Cincinnati ranked highest and Newark, N.J., lowest.