Category Archives: Pet Friendly Rentals

Pet Friendly Self Catering Holidays

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If you are in the process of booking a holiday for yourself and your family, you may have pondered with the idea of taking your dog along with you. Many families thoroughly enjoy taking their dog on holiday, it can be very rewarding both for the dog and its owners. Before booking, you will need ensure you find a pet friendly holiday, whether its a dog friendly cottage, log cabin or even a hotel. These are clearly advertised on all holiday sites, brochures and booking agents.

The most popular accommodation for owners taking their pets along is self catering accommodation. Many holiday home owners have specific properties that are suitable for dogs.

Its not just the accommodation you should carefully choose, but also the location. If you are visiting a rural location where there is lots of wildlife, is your dog prone to chasing rabbits or even sheep? Our pets can become very stressed when placed in unfamiliar surroundings and even act out of character. Carefully choose your accommodation and location before booking any holiday. The last thing you want if you to spend the whole getaway stressed and agitated. There are many ways to find the perfect holiday for you and your pet. Specialist internet sites carefully review and rate hotels and pet friendly self catering cottages throughout the UK. You can also visit forums and get first hand advice from people who have already been. From the gorgeous coastlines of Cornwall to the rural beauty of the Lake District, you will be spoilt for choice.

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How to Search for the Best Pet Friendly Rental Properties

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If you’re a home owner or looking to buy a property, unless you are buying where there is a strata agreement, you should have no issues taking your pet. Your biggest concerns will be around home insurance and other important things for your new home. If you are looking to rent however, the biggest and most stressful task is finding somewhere that both you and your pet are welcome. Here, we’ve listed our top tips for finding the perfect rental accommodation for both you and your furry friend:

* Begin your search online: There are many different property search tools designed for the purpose of finding properties that are pet friendly. These are a great place to start.

* Have references: It is really important that you have good references to give to your prospective landlord. This is important in any case but especially when you are wanting to also bring your cat or dog with you. The landlord may ask questions about you and your pet combined to decipher how you both are as tenants.

* Never assume you can bring your pet unless otherwise stated: Many people think that if they keep their pet on the low, they won’t have any problems. The trouble is, not only is this the wrong thing to do, but you can end up having a neighbour informing the landlord, and be given notice or even loose your bond. Be upfront and honest. If they don’t want any of their residents to have pets, then you don’t want to live there anyway.

* Be responsible for your pet: Even if a place is pet friendly and you move in, it’s important to be a responsible pet owner and consider other residents. If your dog barks during the early hours of the morning, you may want to consider making them wear a citronella collar that sprays when they bark. It’s not harmful but dogs hate the smell and will stop barking. You don’t want to annoy your neighbours in any case and a few complaints to the strata about your pet could mean that you get evicted before you’ve even settled in!

* Give your pet toys to play with: Making sure that your pet is kept occupied will mean that the unit/house will have less wear and tear due to your furry room mate. A bored cat can ruin a screen door and a frustrated dog can gnaw and scratch at wooden doors or even rip up carpet.

Contents insurance and all other important things to consider are vital when you have your own place, but often for pet owners, getting their furry friend in the door is the biggest hassle. By taking a few simple steps you should be able to find an ideal place that both you and your pet will be happy living in. I hope you’ve found our tips useful in helping with your own pet friendly rental property search.

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Bringing Food Into The US For Your Pet? Be Careful!

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A few weeks ago, I received an interesting question from a reader of my blog about traveling with pets to Mexico and the United States. She asked:

Does your website address the restrictions on bringing dog food into the USA from Mexico? We have six dogs and are full-time residents of Ajijic. We travel to Oregon every year at this time (for 17 years) with several dogs and have never had a hassle with dog food until last year. Last year I was told by a friend that had just crossed with a dog that the dog food had to be in the original container or be confiscated. So we tried to cross the border with an open bag of Costco dog kibble. They said the container must be unopened. That creates logistic difficulties that I would rather not try to figure out unless necessary. I was hoping perhaps the guy we got was in a bad mood or something. Anyhow, if you know anything about this, I would love to know what you know.

I didn’t know the answer. Worse, I’m embarrassed to admit that it never even occurred to me to worry about bringing dog food from Mexico into the United States. I know that fruit and vegetables are prohibited, and I know that there’s a limit on the tequila that I can bring in duty-free, but what about food for my precious four-legged family members?

Before we take another trip over the border, I thought I’d better do a little research. Apparently, bringing dog food over the border into the United States IS prohibited. The Department of Homeland Security, Customers and Border Protection website contains the following warning:

Meats, Livestock and Poultry

The regulations governing meat and meat products are stringent. You may not import fresh, dried or canned meats or meat products from most foreign countries into the United States. Also, you may not import food products that have been prepared with meat. – Source: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Patrol Division

Based on that information, any pet food that is made from meat or meat products is not allowed to be brought into the United States. Even if the container is unopened and the food is in its original container, it can be confiscated at the border.

So what is a responsible pet owner supposed to do? Do we bring enough pet food for the road trip, and dispose of any leftovers before we hit border control? Do we hide the pet food and pray we don’t get caught? Do we simply pick up whatever kind of pet food we can find along the way and supplement our dog’s diet with a few fast-food hamburgers?

None of these sound like perfect solutions to us. But we do want to follow the law. In an effort to avoid an upset tummy for our dog, we will bring a small amount of his regular pet food along for the trip to the border. We’ll keep it in the original bag and use it while we are on the road.

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Things You Need to Consider Before Lodging in Pet-Friendly Hotels in New Orleans

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New Orleans has more than 25 pet friendly hotels. Most of them come from different categories of hotels in the city. Quality hotels between 100 – 150 USD per night, and economy places just under 100 USD are amongst the favorite choices that will allow you with pets. These hotels located mostly around Bourbon Street area, are amongst the most popular. Hundreds of places to visit, dozens of bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as popular attractions keep the thrill on at the north-east side of Canal Street.

Iberville Suites is a popular hotel with rooms priced at 200 USD per night. You can get to 170 USD per night with pets, if you manage to catch one of the great deals. Perfect for older couples and families, the hotel has consistently managed high ratings and customer satisfaction. Sheraton New Orleans Hotel is a cheaper place, offering similar facilities. However, the plus point here is that you can avail rooms at one of the upper floors, which may not be as thrilling as Iberville Suites. Pets are allowed in both of them, and charges for sanitation in public areas are applicable.

A vet clinic is of much importance, considering emergencies. The northeastern part of Canal Street houses the French Quarter Vet. Most other neighborhoods also have excellent vet services, but vacationers and tourists mostly hang around near this area. Southern Animal Foundation is one of the other vet clinics near the area.

When you consider pet friendly hotels, it is important that you check about the hotel ambiance. Although they may allow pets, certain chic hotels can be in shambles if your pet is too loud. Sanitation matters everywhere, but loud noise can be easy to handle in larger hotels with more open spaces. Sheraton Suites and Omni Royal are typically suitable for loud pets and stays can be cheaper than 100 USD.

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