Having trouble deciding if your domestic summer vacation will include your best friend this year? There are a few things to consider like how he/she will travel, will your hotel allow him/her to stay in your room (and at what additional cost) or will he/she get to fly with you or have to end up in the cargo hold? Obviously the "best friend" I am referring to is a dog, but it could just as likely be a bird, a cat, a rabbit or any other fur, feather, scaled or hairy creature.
There are literally dozens of websites dedicated to the fine art of traveling with pets -- some giving links to pet-friendly travel providers, others offering advice and several trying to sell you pet-related goodies. While many people may prefer to travel without their pets, there is an inherent guilt about leaving them behind, coupled with a lack of knowledge of how they would be treated by those whose care you could leave them in.
For those who want to travel guilt-free, there is a relatively new website that can help. Home and Pet Sitters (www.homeandpetsitters.com) helps pet owners across the country find professional, reputable pet sitters. Additional services including connecting you with local veterinarians, dog kennels, equine care professional and dog walkers (obviously it also finds responsible home sitters to care for your home while you travel, but let's concentrate on the pet element for now). The site boasts over 15,000 referrals since it commenced in January this year. Homendpetsitters.com is a free service and has more than 7,000 available service providers organized by location and service category. Users enter their location and needs, fill out a simple form providing contact information and your pets' needs and the appropriate service providers will contact you by phone and email. If you are worried about a particular company contacting you, or want to restrict who does and does not get in touch, you can click on a provider's name to block them from contacting you.
If you do travel with your pet and don't want to leave them in a hotel room on their own while you dine out or do something that your pet can't participate in, use the site to find a pet helper in your vacation destination. An initial search for someone to take care of Fido in my (Manhattan) ZIP code came up with 20 service providers who could provide in-home care. When I punched in equine care (this time, not in Manhattan), it came up with a personal pet nanny -- so it seems most needs can be catered for. The site also links to the Professional United Pet Sitters Association (www.petsits.com/index.htm) with a directory of affiliated members in several countries.
Here are a few other resources and websites that will ultimately help you make your decision and can take the guess work out of travel with or without your pets.
Pet Travel (www.pettravel.us), an affiliate of Motels.com helps you plan accommodation based on amenities and of course pet-friendly facilities. So whether you're taking in a show in Las Vegas, sunning yourself on a beach in Florida or rock-climbing in Wyoming, they will have a hotel, bed and breakfast, resort or motel that will accommodate your pets (dogs or other). You can then book the accommodation directly through the site, often at a discounted rate.
Take Your Pet (www.takeyourpet.com) is a (free) membership-based website that provides an informative newsletter about pet travel, pet-friendly lodging directory with over 20,000 properties, discounts on accommodation, bulletin boards for members to swap pet travel experiences and listings of thousands of animal hospitals, groomers, kennels, shelters, exercise and sitting services, pet food and veterinarians all over the United States.
Hike With Your Dog (www.hikewithyourdog.com) is a website dedicated to getting back to nature with your dog. It links to over 2,000 dog-friendly parks and trails in the U.S. and Canada and also lists parks that do not allow dogs so you can double check before you plan your trip. The site encourages people to share their favorite hikes with their dogs anecdotes, has regular podcasts and features a select park profile each month.
Pets Welcome (www.petswelcome.com) bills itself as the Internet's largest pet/travel resource. It includes 25,000 plus hotels, B&Bs, ski resorts, campgrounds and beaches that are pet-friendly, a travel tips section and an information exchange. A helpful extra is information and links to the flying policies of 17 individual airlines, including several international carriers so you can compare and contrast on one site rather that having to jump from one airline to the next. It also has an informative section of international quarantine regulations and policies.
Pets on the Go (www.petsonthego.com) features information on air, sea and land pet transportation, pet recreational resources, pet friendly restaurants, shops and tours and the rules for domestic and international pet travel.
DogFriendly (www.dogfriendly.com) has a great selection of dog travel ideas including destinations, city guides, events, attractions, off-leash dog parks, beaches and dining guides -- all the insider information you'll need to make your next vacation with your dog even more enjoyable. There is also breed-specific data, dog travel etiquette and the top ten dog-friendly cities in the U.S.
Apart from some of the standard features shared by several of the above sites, Pet Friendly Travel (www.petfriendlytravel.com) has a decent list of dog-friendly airports across the country, including dog walks, water fountains, pet potties and pet "relieving" areas.
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