Despite coming equal fourth for pet-friendliness overall, the data commissioned by Mars Petcare proposed the Illawarra was not favourable to canines in many areas.

Researchers surveyed more than 3000 pet owners and asked them about on and off-leash areas, council’s animal management and welfare, registration policies, dog friendly rental accommodation, availability of dog services (such as vets or boarding facilities) and dog friendly public transport. Adelaide ranked best for dogs while Melbourne was most pet friendly.

A Wollongong City Council spokesperson said there were many opportunities for dogs and their owners to enjoy themselves, as well as free advice and pet ownership days held to encourage micro-chipping.

“We have eight beaches which offer dog off leash areas and 11 beaches offering dog on leash areas throughout our city. There are also five parks where you can take your dog off leash,” he said.

The data also highlighted a decline in pet populations, blaming Australian cities not being pet friendly enough. 

Other findings included 39 per cent of dog owners viewed their pet like a family member, 36 per cent said they saw their animal like a child or a baby.

University of WA animal interaction expert Dr Hayley Christian said it’s important to use the survey to think about how to better plan our environments for pets in the future.

“If we can identity things in our communities that make them pet friendly then that's a good thing and we can start doing something about it like protecting those green attractive parks,” she said.

“Plus all that education that goes with that around socially responsible pet ownership.”