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Source: Peter Krivel. Toronto Star.
Road trip! Fido bounds up the special pet ramp into the SUV and gets belted into his own doggie seat. Treats, toys and water are packed into his personalized backpack.
A few hours' drive and they hit the hotel, where there are dog biscuits in the lobby. A snack, water bowl, bed and portable poop scoop wait in the smoke-free, pet-friendly room.
The road's getting easier for the travelling pet.
Where it once was difficult to find a hotel that accepts pets, many now go out of their way to make their stay just as pleasurable as it is for humans. About half of the Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Travelodge hotels in the U.S. and Canada (about 2,500 hotels) are pet-friendly.
At the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in B.C., pets are offered a special bed and treats, along with a bowl.
"It's much more common for hotels to be more receptive to pets," says Lynn Gervais, a spokesperson for Fairmont Hotels. "People seem to be a lot closer to their pets. They're more part of their family rather than just a pet.
"We've definitely noticed an increase in people travelling with their animals."
Bonnie Nixon of Burlington spent five days in Quebec City with her miniature longhaired dachshund, Heidi. Her accommodations at L'Hotel du Vieux Quebec couldn't have been better, she says.
"Pierre at the front desk would offer Heidi biscuits. Then she got to know where the biscuits were, so when we walked into the lobby, she'd wait and look up at where they were stored," Nixon recalls.
The only disappointment was they weren't allowed into restaurants.
"But we could order meals from the restaurant next door and they'd bring them to us," she says.
Nixon was searching for a pet-friendly hotel on the Internet when she discovered http://www.petscanstay.com, a website that both acts as a travel agency and sets standards for the hotels and resorts it recommends.
"We make sure the hotels offer such things as making smoking and non-smoking rooms available for guests with pets and provide food and water bowls upon request," says Scott Beddall, director of operations for Pets Can Stay.
The operation has grown to more than 250 properties in North America since 2003, Beddall says.
"We've booked a lot of people on cross-country trips. They contact us with their itinerary and the type of pet they're travelling with and we set up the reservations with directions."
Nixon and husband Robert took Heidi to a resort near Peterborough this past summer.
"It's much the same as going to one when you don't have a dog except that you eat in a lot," Robert says. "But then you also save money by doing this."
Next up for the Nixons is a trip to Newfoundland with Heidi.
Large pet stores such as PetSmart offer plenty of accessories to help make travelling with a pet easier. These include pet ramps for vans and SUVs, (starting at $150), harnesses and car seats (from $20), dog balls that hold up to four treats ($10) and pet backpacks (from $27) that carry water for long hikes.
Air Canada has banned pets in passenger cabins since September, relegating them to the cargo hold. The airline says the ban serves the best interests of passengers, specifically those with allergies.
However, guide dogs will still be allowed in the cabin.
WestJet's cabins remain pet-friendly zones.
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