Brentwood Certified as a “Better Cities for Pets” until 2027
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Inside Brentwood City Hall, the offices are equipped with desks, chairs, and the occasional dog bed. On the second floor, in City Attorney Kristen Corn’s office, you also should watch your step in case a tennis ball or chew toy is on the ground. Her Great Pyrenees mix, Nicks (as in Stevie Nicks), is often resting on a plush bed or wagging her tail when visitors come to scratch behind her ear.
Nicks provides a calming mood inside City Hall, and she’s one of the reasons why Brentwood is a certified city in Mars Petcare’s “Better Cities for Pets” program. Brentwood earned its original certification in 2020 and was recertified in 2022. But in the last two years, the city has continued to make pet-friendly strides, and Mars Petcare has now extended its certification of Brentwood until the year 2027.
According to the program’s website, “Science tells us that when people have a pet, they tend to get more exercise, report less loneliness and stress, and have stronger social ties. That’s probably why more people than ever before see pets as family. They make our lives better, and we want to spend as much time with them as we can. The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program helps cities be pet-friendly so more people can enjoy the benefits of a life with pets.”
Within the last year, Brentwood has added a new pet-friendly drinking fountain near the John P. Holt Brentwood Library. The fountain was installed as part of a Leadership Brentwood Class of 2023 group project, and it is located on the walkway connecting the library to River Park.
The library also is home to a pet microchip scanner. A local Girl Scout Troop provided the scanner, which can be used to identify pets separated from their owners.
“We recognize and celebrate the four-legged residents of Brentwood and are proud to support them with features like our pet friendly parks, businesses, and leash laws to keep everyone safe,” Brentwood City Commissioner Rhea Little previously said.
For information on the certification program, visit https://www.bettercitiesforpets.com/.