If you're in a New York City park and tell your dog Max to fetch, you
might find a strange pooch retrieving your ball.
That's because Max was the top dog name in New York in 2005, according
to the city Health Department.
The name Max was engraved on 1,228 dog licenses of the 101,274 issued
last year, the department said.
All top five names remained the same as in 2004 -- Max, followed by
Lucky, Princess, Rocky and Buddy.
Mixed breeds outnumbered any other variety, with 7,374 licensed in
2005, the department said.
More Labrador
retrievers were licensed than any
other breed, followed by pit
bulls, Shih Tzus and German
Shepherds
.
All dogs must be licensed and have a tag on their collars while in
public, according to state law. However, the health department estimates
only a fifth of the city's dogs are licensed.