July/August • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 47
had that won’t
make your car
look like a law
enforcement
offi cer’s K-9
vehicle.
Allowing
your pet
to stick its
head out
the window
is usually
discouraged as
well, as debris
or bugs can fl y
in their eyes and ears, and there is, of course,
a greater risk of them falling out of the car.
If you do allow your dog to take some fresh
air, try to do it when the car is moving more
slowly than during interstate travel, and keep
a close hold on them the whole time.
One of the most common problems while
traveling with a pet is this: If an accident were
to occur, and a dog is not harnessed in, they
often are ejected from the vehicle. If they are
not too injured, their next instinct is to run.
Many people have lost their pets this way,
so keep that in mind when you make the
decision to let your dog move about in the
vehicle, or to harness them in.
Anything from fl ying glass to deployed
airbags can frighten a dog in that situation,
so don’t just assume your pet’s calm nature
under normal circumstances is how they
will act in a time of stress such as a vehicle
accident.
Above all, it is up to the driver to make
sure the dog never gets in their lap (it is
extremely distracting, and if the dog’s head
gets wedged in the steering wheel and they
have to turn, the dog’s neck can be broken),
under their feet or distracts them to the point
of an accident.
A Welcome Respite for the Two
and Four-Legged
There are several hotel chains that accept
pets, but make sure you call ahead to each
one prior to arrival to make sure their rules
are the same as others.
On the cheaper side of the hotel chains,
Motel 6, Red Roof Inns, My Place Hotels and
Candlewood Inn & Suites are known to allow
pets. Some charge a small pet fee, others
charge nothing. Candlewood
will quite often give you a “pet
magnet” to put on the outside
of your door, to make
sure if hotel staff needs
to enter they are aware
there is a pet inside
who might zoom out
the door.
In the higher-end
world of lodging, W Hotels are known for
their royal treatment of pets. They have a
“P.A.W. – Paws are Welcome” package which
includes toys, treats, waste bags and food
and water bowls. The Kimpton Hotel chain
prides itself in being so pet friendly, their
motto is, “If they fi t in the door, we’ll welcome
them in.” Loews Hotels are pet-friendly, and