HoundsGood

There are many excuses why people decide to give up a dog or cat. The reason that upsets me the most sometimes is: “We want to be free to travel.” When mentioning the idea of taking their dog to a pet resort or hiring a pet sitter, they say “its not fair for us to be gone so long.” These people have their minds pretty well made up, and sometimes travel is just a convenient excuse when the true reason is apathy.

For those of you who sincerely want to adopt a dog or cat but worry that you don’t have someone reliable to watch him/her for your occasional trips, or have a dog but worry that your new job that requires some travel will prevent you from keeping them, you may want to check out a site for pet friendly hotels. Some motels have traditionally allowed well behaved pets, or allow pets as long as the pet is not left loose while unattended in the room., or if you don’t make a spectacle of yourself. I still have images in my head from the time we went on a cross country trip and our youngest dog thought it was a thrill to jump from bed to bed (all night). But, today there are far more options.

When my husband and I stayed at Universal’s Royal Pacific Resort, we did so without our dogs. We figured they would not be welcome, or we would just be gone too long during the day.

Little did we know how accommodating they were! There was actually a separate block of pet rooms where the decor was more pet friendly (tile floors to make accidents less stressful). There was also a service, if you chose, for staff to come in during the day to walk your dog. Our little friends even had room service options available to them if we forgot their food or wanted a special meal for them. It was much more money than bringing your own, but heck, you are on vacation, right? The amenities are not to replace you taking care of your pets while they are vacationing with you, but sure helps keep them on their schedule when you are attending a show, etc.

That hotel and others are on www.officialpethotels.com.  Make sure, however, before you go to confirm that the hotel is accepting pets at that time.  Some properties change their policies from time to time, but others who always accept pets may have a limit to the number of pets on the premises at a time.  For more info check out these travel tips.

Every time we go somewhere, we are amazed at the lengths some hotels and attractions are going to in order to attract the business of pet owners. My husband wished there would be a pet friendly cruise someday. I think that the travel industry is a long way off from that. I just can’t picture a big sod truck loading “bathroom supplies” onto the ship.

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