Most Dog Friendly cities in the West?? (ski resort, 2009)

[CObound]

Now, first I want to say that I do NOT want this to turn into a forum about opinions on pitbulls. That is NOT what I am posting about. What I AM posting about is this. I am a grad student who will be doing pharmacy rotations during the entire 2008-2009 school year. I have the opportunity to go wherever I want to for these. I LOVE the mountains and I'd like to go somewhere out West that has great views of the mountains and lots of opportunities for outdoor activities/recreation (like hiking, camping, dog parks, etc...). I have two large dogs that are 'pitbull' type dogs, so I need a city that does not have Breed Specific Legislation laws that ban these types of dogs from city (ie. Denver has very strict BSL within their city limits). Also a city with a dog park or two would be fantastic. I would prefer somewhere where the weather will be sunny/clear most of the time as opposed to rainy (but I don't mind snow). I can really go out during any season and if I can only go out for a short period of time I will probably try to go July to November or so. However, I may get to stay for the entire year, and in that case I would like to be somewhere within a 2 hour or so drive to a ski resort/mountain because I love to snowboard. I don't necessarily need a gigantic, happening metro, in fact I would prefer a smaller city, but I would like there to be somewhat of a younger crowd and nightlife there (I will be 25 when I go). Also, there needs to be a fair amount of pharmacies and/or hospitals in the area or within a 30 minute commute so that I have rotation opportunities. Therefore I can't live in a tiny, sleepy town and I would prefer not to be in some suburb that consists of all families with young children. I want a place where the people are friendly and there is a community vibe.

I know that this sounds VERY specific, but I am hoping that someone can help me make my decision or bring to light new places that I was not aware of! I have been doing a lot of researching and up to this point I have really been focusing on either Colorado Springs or Boulder. I would love some opinions on any areas like this in some of the other Western states that I might not know about. Cost of living is not an issue because I have plenty of student loans and I don't mind paying more since I will only have this opportunity for a short period of time! Thanks in advance!!

[rockx]

SoCal seems to allow Pitbulls almost everywhere as long as they are behaved. I have about 5-6 of them in my neighborhood, which is very densely populated, but in a nice area of Orange County. L.A. and San Diego have great schools and nightlife for a young person. People are very friendly in SoCal, especially the women!!!

We are close to Big Bear (1.5-2 hour drive) also a Short flight to Utah or Lake Tahoe will get you better snow.


However, I feel it is my duty to tell you not to move to SoCal or California at all, for it is too congested as is and way overpriced.