Turns out the Inland Northwest is a region that is especially welcoming to our furry friends.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recently released its U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, which ranked Washington as the 6th best state for pet ownership and Idaho as the No. 8 state for pet ownership.

The study found that 62.7 percent of Washington and 62 percent of Idaho households owned a pet; the report said that Washingtonians have the fifth most cats at 39 percent of households and Idaho at 34.6 percent – good for 8th highest.

The numbers

Top Pet Owning States:

Silvano Bitencourt is a native of Brazil. He came to the United States with pretty much nothing but the shirt on his back and the American Dream in his heart. Silvano not only has accomplished the American Dream he recently became a United States Citizen.

I had a chance to talk with him recently about his Dog & Cat Grooming business in Spokane, becoming a citizen and what he has planned for the future.

Tell me a little about yourself, I know you're Brazilian. How does a Brazilian wind up living in Spokane?

I am Brazilian born in Brasilia Distrito Federal Brazil, I belong to the first generation of the federal capital of the nation. When I decided to fight for my American dream, get out of Brazil to Miami FL, where I started the whole course of my life in America. After a few years in Florida, several economic problems and other personal reasons, I was curious and sought other places to follow my dreams.

I decided to move to Spokane, I thought it was a charming city and not expensive to live. I didn't know anyone here, I faced problems of adaptation and acceptance in this community. I was the victim of discrimination in a sporting goods store when I first moved here. My accent if very thick so I think it was surprising to see a Latino. But Spokane has come a long way in terms of acceptance of different people.

Fireworks might be fun for humans, but they're not fun for pets. Today, Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services or SCRAPS warns pet owners to keep their four legged friends in a safe spot this 4th of July weekend.

SCRAPS says an owner's best bet is putting your pet in a safe place inside your house. Even if you think your yard is secure, SCRAPS says the loud noises scare some pets so badly they find a way to break out of the yard. It says it responds to dozens of calls during the 4th of scared pets running loose or cowering in odd places.