Kissing the Santa Cruz coast

Follow the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) along the Santa Cruz County coastline, and you’ll be tempted by 29 miles of beaches (15 of them dog-friendly) along the way. Only one, Mitchell’s Cove, is legally leash-free, and then only before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. But no worries: there are plenty of other strands to explore provided you keep a tether stretched between you. Read more.

Santa Cruz SPCA 2017

Children petting at dog at Sant Cruz SPCA

At Santa Cruz SPCA, it's all about creative community partnerships. Like when the local Anthropologie hosted adoptable dogs in a fashionable setting. Or the dog-friendly Jerk House offering a day of Jamaican cuisine and fun activities for people and dogs at the restaurant, then donating 10 percent of the proceeds to SCSPCA. Read more.

Best beds for heads and paws

More than 50 pet-friendly lodgings—something for every style and budget—are sprinkled across the Santa Cruz County landscape. They run the gamut from camping cabins to luxury inns to vacation rentals where you can spread out like at home. If you’re up for a splurge, the AAA Four-Diamond Chaminade Resort & Spa, a woodsy, 156-room boutique retreat fresh from a $7.9 million makeover, pampers with luxury rooms and 3 miles of hiking trails on 300 mountaintop acres overlooking Monterey Bay. Read more.