Nearly 3 million Coloradans own at least one furry friend. Yes, in Colorado we love our animals. A lot. In fact, Denver has repeatedly been named the country’s most pet-healthy city by the Purina Pet Institute because of the high veterinarian-to-pet ratio, the presence of cruelty-investigation programs, dog parks, superior emergency pet care, and high-quality animal shelters. But even those things don’t really illustrate how important our pets have become. Pets are the new people. They can belly up to the patio at the Wynkoop or take a stroll through the Stapleton Home Depot on a Saturday morning. They have their choice of more than 500 pet-related businesses. They can even join us for a night at the Oxford Hotel. ¶ Is it a bit silly? Sure. But there’s nothing wrong with a little silliness every so often, right? After all, pets are fun. And in light of that fact, we’ve pulled together our 2008 Pet Guide—a profusion of the best pet-related paraphernalia Colorado has to offer.