Apartment living in a big city isn’t always easy when you have an animal—many landlords are restrictive. It seems like the apartments keep getting smaller, and there are fewer and fewer places where dogs are welcome to hang out or do their business.

Here’s our guide to the pet-friendly in Ballard, Seattle, with pet-friendly apartments, parks great for dogs, and more.

Amenities to Seek in a Pet-Friendly Apartment

Even if an apartment accepts a pet, it doesn’t mean it’s an ideal place to raise Fido. Choose an apartment that caters to keeping your life easier.

A Dog Run or On-Site Park: A true dog-friendly apartment will have a dedicated and well-maintained spot for your dog to run around and meet their animal neighbors. This is great both because it gets our their energy better than a quick walk, and because the resident animals will get along better if they have a chance to be introduced to each other.

A Pet Wash: It’s a pain to wash our animals in the bathtub—the tub is slippery and uncomfortable for pet paws, the dog hair gets everywhere, and it’s hard to clean up. Bigger dogs who are bath-adverse can just jump out. A well-maintained dog wash station solves all these problems with a safe spot designed just for washing your animal.

Plank Flooring is an important feature—accidents happen. A cat kicks a bit of litter out of the box, a dog gets mud on their paws, pet hair gets around the house. Whatever pet-related mess, it’s much easier to clean up on plank flooring or tile than on carpet. Not only does this keep your house sparkling, it helps avoid your landlord using your security deposit for an extra steam clean at the end of your lease.

Keyless Entry: We’ll admit this is more of a luxury than a need—but when you’re trying to get into your house with a dog in one hand and a latte from down the street in the other, life is just easier when you don’t have to fumble for your keys.

Where to Live if You Have a Pet

Location matters for pet owners. Living far from animal care and supplies, or being miles from a pleasant area for a jaunt with your dog, makes a negative impact on quality of life for you and your animal. Here are some amenities to look for in the proximity of any place you’re considering living.

Veterinarians and Emergency Animal Hospitals: This is self explanatory. Minutes matter when your animal is injured or sick. At Ballard Yards, we’re lucky to live near multiple animal clinics, many of which take urgent card appointments, so you have lots of options for pet care. We’re also close to a 24-hour clinic for emergencies that happen in the middle of the night.

• Emerald City 24-Hour Emergency Clinic (10 minutes)
• Ballard Animal Hospital (5 minutes)
• The Family Pet Veterinary Hospital (4 minutes)

Pet Shops: We are lucky to be near lots of places that sell pet supplies as well as stores that specialize in products for pets.

• Mud Bay (4 minutes)
• All the Best Pet Care (2 minutes)

Adventure Spots: It’s important for bonding with your dog to take them to explore new places. It’s also good for their wellbeing and mental stimulation to take them on regular walks. Fortunately, we live in a neighborhood that welcomes dogs and offers different types of beautiful areas to walk in.

• Dog Yard Dog Bar (2 minute drive, 13 minutes walk) is a great bar with a dog run for both dogs and their owners to play. Best of all, you get there by walking down Historic Ballard Avenue, a lively neighborhood that’s fun to explore and has lots to see. Plenty of the shops and small businesses don’t mind you bringing your dog to peek at their displays.
• Ballard Commons Park (2 blocks) is a great green space just down the street. Lots of our residents enjoy taking their dogs over there for a morning stroll. If your dog likes watching movement, you can take them over by the skate bowl area to watch people do tricks on their boards.
• Woodland Park (10 minutes) is a huge park with lots for you and your furry friend to explore. They even have an off-leash area, so if your dog is well-trained to be off-leash, they can run free, play catch, and make friends with other dogs.
• Ballard Locks (8 minute walk) is a free spot to take your dogs, and they have a botanical garden so your dog can smell the roses. Learn more about this great spot in our article about Ballard Locks.

For a complete list of parks, check out our article on things to do in Northwest Seattle.