Dog-friendly San Diego won a top berth in Irvine-based pet magazine Dog Fancy’s annual “Dogtown USA” contest, it was announced Wednesday.

San Diego, which won the top award in 2007, shared the award with perennial rival Huntington Beach, last year’s runner-up, and Carmel-by-the-Sea.

“This year, we wanted to recognize cities of all sizes for welcoming dogs and their owners as residents. Coincidentally, all three cities that came out at the top of their respective dog piles are in California,” said Susan Chaney, the magazine’s editor.

The tide is rising nationwide, she said, adding that “we know from our research over the last five years that more cities all over the U.S. are growing more dog-friendly.”

Each year, Dog Fancy asks readers for nominations for America’s most dog-friendly cities. The criteria used to select the winning city include dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their owners, high vet-to-dog ratios, abundant pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets.

Chaney will travel to San Diego, Huntington Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea to present the cities with this top honor.