St. Louis touting itself as 'pet friendly' to prospective visitors

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis wants more visitors of all kinds, including the four-legged variety.

KSDK-TV reports that the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau is touting the city as one of the most animal-accepting in the country.

Marketers say the city and region have pet-friendly wineries, hotels, parks, outdoor restaurants and dog parks.

Meanwhile, some 80,000 people are expected for the Soulard Mardi Gras pet parade on Feb. 7.

Mayor Francis Slay is even blogging on his site about how welcoming the town is to pets.