Four-legged residents enjoy `pet friendly' Sun City Anthem

     Nobody has to tell Chelsea that it's the dog days of summer in Southern Nevada. But despite 100-plus degree temperatures and a fur coat, the 10-year-old English bulldog wouldn't want to be living anywhere else than with Stephen and Brenda Hethcote in Sun City Anthem.
      "We walk her every night and we enjoy the exercise as much as she does," Brenda Hethcote said. "With both of our kids moved out of the house, she is our baby now."
      Many residents of the age-restricted community enjoy walking their dogs in the early evening.
      "It becomes a valuable opportunity to meet and share time with the other neighbors on the block," Hethcote said.
      The Hethcotes, a retired military couple who moved from Iowa in April, were concerned about finding a neighborhood that met Chelsea's lifestyle as well as their own. That's why they looked into "pet friendly" features before deciding to purchase a new home. Their main concern was finding a home with a large enough back yard.
      "We were looking for a home with plenty of backyard running space for Chelsea to enjoy," she said. "Sun City Anthem ended up being the perfect selection to meet all of our needs."
      The development will offer a community center providing residents with fitness, hobby and craft facilities, along with space for social activities. The center, scheduled to open in early 2000, will measure about 72,000 square feet.
      Homes are priced from the low $140,000s to the low $280,000s. Floor plans range from the 1,235-square-foot Madison plan to the 3,009-square-foot Anthem model.
      The master-planned community in Henderson is also home to Anthem Country Club.
      To visit, take Eastern Avenue south, two miles past Lake Mead Drive, and follow the signs.
      The sales office is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
      Del Webb Corp. has been building homes for more than 60 years, including Sun City developments and country club communities nationwide.