My Family and I had the recent rarity of enjoying a four day weekend away from home. And had the even bigger experience...leaving to vacation without our dog Jimmy the tulip. Now tulip is a relatively small dog but requires a lot of care. The place we were staying had a strict no pets rule and charged a whopping $100 a day for violations. Now our mistake was leaving most of our trip planning for last minute. Never before had we had to leave any of our pets behind.
It is crucial to make arrangements early! If you decided to leave your pet boarding take into consideration any special needs your pet has. Do they suffer from separation anxiety? One time our close friend volunteered to puppy-sit Tulip and we received a startling call at 1 am, no words were necessary to know what was happening we could hear Tulip crying in the background. Do they need a special diet? How will the place you board at handle an emergency?
Good sources to find a reputable place to board can usually be found right in you neighborhood. Ask your veterinarian if they recommend a place and some vets do boarding in their clinics as well. It is important to find a place that is up to your standards because your furry loved one can be exposed to things such as fleas, kennel cough and exposed to other parasites that you wouldn't want to bring home. Now if your opting for leaving your pet in the care of a friend be sure that your friend understands the responsibility they are taking on. Tulip, as most small terriers, has an abundance of energy which he will invest in any activity that he deems worthy. If this energy isn't drained through proper exercise he will turn it into destructive energy and that couch you just got, white in the case of our friend, will be used as target practice or worse a giant chew toy.
There are many options when you face having to leave your pet behind when going on vacation but it will all seem less complicated when you take the time to do the research. Now if you are at the early stages of your vacation planning check to see if the place you are interested in visiting allows pets. While reading an article in a Beneful sponsored magazine titled "Wag World" there was a list of hotels and resorts that allow you to take your pet with you such as:
Stanford inn by the sea in California (visit www.stanfordinn.com),
White gate court in Florida visit (www.whitegatecourt.com)
Hotel Teatro in Colorado (visit http://www.hotelteatro.com/)
Loews regency Hotel in New York (visit www.loewshotels.com/regency) and
Kimpton's Hotel Monaco in Portland in Oregon (http://www.monaco-portland.com/)
the article was written by Kristy Alpert.
Whether you take your pet with you or leave your pet boarding or with a friend it is important to pack for your furry friend appropriately. Make sure your pet has their collar, name tag, name of medication or special instructions for special care. As well as a list of emergency contacts and emergency instructions. If you have a pet that may not handle being away from you very well, ie Tulip :), consider leaving something with your pet that will remind him or her of home such as an old t-shirt that is fully loaded with your scent. Your pet and those left caring for them will greatly appreciate this. Best of luck on your vacations with or with out your furry loved ones!
This blog is in no way sponsored or linked by Beneful and referenced to its article in its WAGWORLD MAGAZINE "Fur-Friendly Five" by Kristy Alpert Dallas, TX 2010 for the purpose of providing a small list of places that allow pets.
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