Cities across the nation have been competing to be the healthiest when it comes to environment, obesity rates and ... pet health.

A new study released Wednesday by the Purina Pet Institute ranks the healthiest cities in the United States when it comes to pets.

PET HEALTHIEST CITIES Full List Of Rankings

In calculating their rankings, the institute analyzed 30 different criteria ranging from veterinarian-to-pet ratios to incidence of obesity to rabies legislation.

According to the institute, the top pet-healthy city for the second straight year is Denver, which received the highest score for the availability of emergency and critical care. The city also scored well on other categories including animal shelter, air quality, watershed, preventive measures, obesity/body condition, and low reports of Lyme disease.

Coming in second was Oakland, Calif. Portland, Ore., Anaheim, Calif., and San Francisco round out the top five cities on the list. See Full List Of Rankings.

"This is the only comprehensive evaluation of factors that impact pets' health and affect their quality of life," said Dan Christian, executive director of the Purina Pet Institute. "This study honors cities, such as Denver, that understand the important role they play in the health of their community's pets. And hopefully, they inspire other communities as well."

The institute issued their first rankings in 2001, but this year, they added two new criteria: preventive care and obesity/body condition.

Body condition refers to the evaluation of an animal's physique and serves as one indication of his overall health and well-being.

According to the veterinarians surveyed, more than half of the nation's cats and dogs are overfed, which can lead to health problems that can have an impact on pet longevity.

"Just as in humans, preventive care and obesity/body condition are health issues that have important implications for our pets, and we felt it was important to include these areas when evaluating the pet healthiest cities," Christian said.

Although New York didn't make the top five cities, the city scored highest in the dental care category. Fifty-six percent of the city's pets currently under veterinary care receive regular dental cleaning, compared to the national average of 36.2 percent.

New York City and Oakland scored highest for percentage of dogs neutered, at 83 percent, and New York City tied with San Jose, Calif., for highest percentage of cats neutered, at 86 percent.

When it came to body condition, New Orleans scored highest for percentage of dogs at ideal body weight, and Nashville, Tenn., took top score for percentage of cats at ideal body weight.

Providence, R.I., takes the top position in shelters with 37 per capita, edging out Hartford, Conn., which has 34.7 shelters per capita.

Columbus, Ohio, pets have their paws full of veterinarian choices. The city leads the nation in the veterinarian-to-pet ratio with one veterinarian for every 745 pets.

"The things pet owners control -- obesity/body condition, preventive care, spaying and neutering -- can literally add, or detract, healthy years from a pet's life," Christian said. "No matter where you live, by taking an active role in maintaining your pet's well-being, you can help your cat or dog lead a healthier life."

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