A Dog's Life

The 9 best places in Dallas to spoil your pets

Most pet owners go above and beyond for their furry friends, because they are considered part of the family (and because animals are sometimes easier to love than humans). Whether you need doggie daycare, kitty spa services, fresh-baked organic treats, flashy rhinestone collars or chic designer carriers, these top spots know just how to pamper your pets.

Dee's Doggie Den & Kitty City
Dee's Doggie Den & Kitty City feels a bit like a resort, with more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for your pets to play. The daycare center also has umbrellas for shade, swimming pools, flat-screen televisions, and loads of toys. Dee's offers day boarding, overnight boarding (in luxury suites, if desired) and grooming.

Downtown Pawz
What this all-natural pet store lacks in frills it more than makes up for in supply and services. In addition to five-star pet food, Downtown Pawz offers dog walking, bathing and grooming services. For the busy-but-doting dog owner, Downtown Pawz also offers curbside pickup and free delivery within downtown.

Lucca Bella Doggie Spa & Boutique
If you squint, you might think you've wandered into a high-end children's store. Lucca Bella takes pet pampering to a new level with its couture boutique and doggie daycare center, which features webcams for anxious "parents" to keep track of their four-legged children. Lucca Bella also features a doggie spa where pets receive facials and pawdicures in a "stress-less" environment. The grooming facility offers aromatherapy shampoos and doggie perfume.

Lucky Dog Barkery
This lauded Preston Center pet shop is best known for wholesome approach to pet food and treats, whether organic, natural or raw. Folks here believe in matching the dog to the food, not the other way around. In addition to sustenance, shop for leashes, collars, pet beds and bowls, and art and gifts for the pet-loving human.

The Petropolitan
It’s hard to image anyone caring about your pets as much as you do, but the folks at Petropolitan do. In addition to top-notch boarding, grooming services and dog walking services (urban hikes!), this downtown spot sells all the accouterments, such as leashes, toys and oh-so-stylish threads. Petropolitan was a pioneer in the central business district before downtown living got cool. Good to know: Co-owner Chris Watts is also the president of the Dallas Companion Animal Project.

The Pooch Patio
This Uptown hot spot caters as much to owners as it does to pets. Grab an adult beverage and hang with your pals and pooches on the patio, or go all out and plan the “ulti-mutt” birthday party for your four-legged beloved. Pooch Patio does daycare (with three environments), boarding (with late pickup), grooming (with a do-it-yourself option), and retail. The latter includes every kind of leash, collar and harness imaginable, plus designer pet colognes, doggie tees and custom-baked organic treats.

Tails of the City
Among the luxury human boutiques in Snider Plaza lies Tails of the City, an equally chic destination for Park Cities pets. Shop for splashy rhinestone collars, super-comfy pet beds, shiny water bowls, designer pet carriers and gourmet treats.

Three Dog Bakery
If you like dessert, why not let your pup indulge in a little treat? Three Dog Bakery makes all-natural, slow-baked treats that could easily be mistaken for human baked goods, plus you can order custom-made cakes for pooch parties. Three Dog also sells dog chews, collars and leashes.

Woof
Woof has more pet supplies than you could ever need, from natural pet food and chews made from top-quality ingredients to cozy beds and colorful leashes. In addition to grooming services, Woof has a self-service dog wash for pet owners who like to do the deed themselves but without destroying the bathroom.

Three Dog Bakery sells slow-baked, all-natural treats.

Three Dog Bakery Plano Facebook

Three Dog Bakery sells slow-baked, all-natural treats.

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population explosion

7 booming Dallas neighbors see biggest population growth in U.S.

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Denton, Mansfield, McKinney, and more North Texas cities are among the fastest-growing places in the country, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

population growth reports smartasset dallas fort worth denton suburbs mansfield