Tips for Traveling with Pets
by Jack Hanna
(NAPSA) — The next time you’re planning a vacation, one challenge may be what to do with family pets. Here’s a simple solution: take them along. These 11 tips can help everyone have a fun, safe vacation:
Preparing for Your Trip
• Start small. Do a few day trips first. Next, try an overnight trip-even if you just stay with a friend. If that goes well, take a couple of weekend trips closer to home before planning a full week or more of vacation.
Jack Hanna offers some tips for traveling with pets.
• Plan pet-friendly activities. If your pet cannot have some quality recreation time with you every day, he may be happier at home.
• Acclimate your animal to strangers, crowds and noise. Start by finding pet-friendly activities near home. Visit an off-leash dog park or take short hikes in nearby parks.
• Do your research. Look for pet-friendly hotels before your trip. Many families may be surprised at the number of places where well-behaved pets on leashes are welcome. You can then look up activities for your pet near your hotel.
Settle On Your Itinerary
• Plan for all the small stops on your travel route. Give yourself extra time for plenty of bathroom and exercise breaks along the way. You and your pet will enjoy the trip more if you’re not in a rush.
• Use a trip planner such as the one at www.motel6.com to pick hotels for overnight stays. That way, you can plan ahead for each night at a pet-friendly property.
Pet-Friendly Accommodations
• Book your accommodations well in advance at a pet-friendly hotel such as Motel 6 or Studio 6. You do not want to get stranded with a pet and no place to stay.
• Ask for a first-floor room with the door leading directly to the outdoors. These rooms are easier for you and quieter for other guests when you’re taking late night or early morning walks.
Packing For Your Pet
• Bring your pet’s regular food to avoid stomach upsets.
• Carry food and water in the car so you can feed your pet at his regular time, even if you’re out late.
• Pack some favorite toys to provide activity and comfort.
Mr. Hanna, known to the animal world and the general public as “Jungle Jack,” is one of America’s most popular naturalists and adventurers. In addition to hosting the series “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” he is also a regular guest on “Good Morning America,” “Larry King Live” and “The Late Show With David Letterman.”
Filed under: Dogs and Cats • Living With Pets
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We travel a lot with our young spaniel, and your suggestions are all good! I would just add to the “Packing for Your Pet” section a suggestion that you purchase some way of keeping your dog safely secured in your car, for your dog’s safety and your own. Big dogs have a variety of options, including the very cool zip-line tether; small dogs need either a carrier that straps in with the seat belt, a car seat with a built-in tether that clips to a harness, or a harness with an attached strap that clips to your seat belt latch (or the seatbelt itself, or the bar next to the seat belt latch).
– Mary-Alice P. (www.dogjaunt.com)
All great tips. Glad to see writers acknowledging that there are many pet friendly hotel options.
The best point you make is searching for pet friendly activities near your hotel. Traveling with a pet is not fun if you feel you are stuck in your hotel room. That’s why GoPetFriendly.com created an entire database of pet friendly activities. It’s amazing what you can do with your pet: beaches, wineries, shopping, ferry boat rides, paddle boats, gardens, etc. If you want to travel with your pet, it’s easier now then ever before!