pet connection

As consumers cut back on their spending, the travel industry is looking for ways to make vacation more appealing to those newly-frugal travelers. In this week’s Pet Connection, Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori look at how hotels are marketing themselves to pet owners, and what you can do to make travel safe and fun for the whole family:

The trend toward taking dogs along has been building for a long time, with both low-end and luxury hotels increasingly not only accepting dogs, but also actively welcoming them with such previously unheard-of lures as room service and dog walkers.

The best way to plan your pet-friendly vacation? Check out Web sites and guidebooks dedicated to traveling with pets, and look for ads in pet-related magazines and newsletters. You’ll find information as to which restaurants welcome dogs on their patios, which beaches or other recreational areas offer legal off-leash exercise, and even the locations of the nearest self-serve dog wash. You’ll always want to know the location of nearby veterinarians, as well, just in case.

Don’t rely on any listing or book too much, though. Policies change, which is why it’s essential to always call ahead and confirm that pets are still welcome where you’ve made your reservations. And don’t forget to ask about weight limits: Some hotels welcome dogs, but only small ones.

Even though more people than ever are traveling with their dogs, there are plenty of people who don’t like sharing space with the four-legged tourists. There are also plenty of resort properties that are one pet mess away from changing to a no-dog policy. That means you and your dog must be above reproach, to keep a great place open for future pet travel.

Why do pets end up homeless? Gina Spadafori has the scoop here.

In “The Buzz,” Dr. Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon write about the history of the canine collar tag:

People have always wanted some way to get a roving dog home. And government authorities have always wanted a way to either put a property tax on a dog or, in later years, ensure that the animal was vaccinated against rabies. Dogs have been licensed for centuries, but the idea of a tag to signify that a dog was “street legal” seems to date back to the late 19th century. Cincinnati started issuing tags on an annual basis then, and other cities and states soon followed suit. While governments used to issue some tags that were creative and downright adorable — shaped like doghouses, acorns, police shields and more — today’s tags are the height of utilitarian design. That’s why the old tags are valuable, with prices for examples of whimsical appearance, decent condition and age going for hundreds of dollars.

Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or view the page (PDF) as it went out to our newspaper clients.