Perfect getaways go to the dogs

For a group tour to be successful, participating pets have to be well-behaved around people and other pets. Only spayed and neutered pet tourists are accepted.

“As far as personal canine hygiene is concerned, people who travel with their pets keep them very well groomed so there’s never an issue regarding doggy smells or fleas,” Carsten said.

“Our Web site focuses on telling people about pet-friendly places and destinations so the next logical step would be to plan organized tours ourselves,” says Chris Kingsley of the popular pet Web site petswelcome.com. “We are talking to travel agents [about] planning simple getaways to places like Vermont in autumn and making it a walking tour that both people and their pets will enjoy.”

Another spin-off for canine concierges, Kingsley said, would be digging up good deals on tours for pet lovers — without their pets.

“Cruises where pet lovers get together, attend workshops and meet pet celebrities would work well even if pets have to stay home.”

Many pet-centric groups are already organizing tours of their own. Friends of Roman Cats, a welfare organization based in San Francisco that raises money to assist the welfare of Italy’s feral cat population, has already run three very popular Cats and Culture tours to Italy and has another planned for next year.

“Naturally our focus is on visiting famous feral colonies such as Torre Argentina in Rome, Venice's Lido Island and the Boboli Gardens in Florence.” One tour follows a woman who has been feeding cats for the past 19 years, “but we include popular cultural tourist sights on our itinerary too,” said Susan Wheeler, who coordinates the organization's travel arrangements.

“We can arrange anything,” Clifford confirmed. “People only have to ask. Pet-centric events such as the Crufts Dog Show in England and the Westminster Dog Show in New York always draw tourists and are prime events for pet-friendly packaged tours.”

More by Sandy Robins Dogs sniff out gourmand adventure JetBlue strives for top-dog status Hotel pet mascots around the country Latest gear for pets on the go High-end pet lodges popular with owners Great dog beaches around the country Dogs are digging the nightlife Pet-friendly theme parks

In recent years, the pet travel industry has overcome huge stumbling blocks, such as allowing pets in airline cabins and ridding quarantine regulations to England and Europe. If they can  negotiate with airlines to allow more dogs onboard certain flights, with a couple of canine concierges going along for the ride, then the world will no longer just be the pet traveler’s oyster but a very juicy bone.

Sandy Robins is an award-winning pet lifestyle writer. She is the recent recipient of the Humane Society of the United States' Pets for Life Award. Her work appears in many national and international publications.

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