The staff is incredibly proud of the program, which has found homes for many different breeds and mixes, as well as a blind dog and a bonded pair adopted together. Because the property is pet-friendly — with a gourmet dog menu and special area where guests can dine with their pups — many of the former lobby dogs return as guests.
“We get to see old friends. It’s really fun to see them with their families a year or two later,” she said.
Across the country in Southern California, the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage runs a similar foster program called the Dog Samaritans Adoption Project in partnership with the nonprofit Animal Samaritans.Celebrate Your Pet at Every Age. Everyone loves a new puppy or kitten, says Dr. Becker. “They’re wildly kinetic, and humorous. An older pet is thinner, bonier. Their coats aren’t as soft, they might have bad breath.” But, like people, a pet’s needs change with age. They may be less active, preferring a leisurely stroll to a rollicking tug-of-war. “Our old retriever, who’s blind, still wants to retrieve.” Adapting to their changing needs will ensure your old friend remains a healthy and happy member of your family.
A lobby dog hangs out in a little doghouse and playpen so guests can spend time cuddling a pooch or taking them for a walk around the property.
The program helps dogs get used to socializing with people and children, and gives guests a chance to spend time with a dog, which can be particularly meaningful if they’re missing one at home.
Raquel Wood, executive assistant to the general manager, runs the program, which has re-homed 137 dogs. Some are adopted by vacationing families, others by business travelers who take a dog for a walk between meetings and inadvertently fall in love. Eight have even moved to Canada with their new families.READ ALSO:
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“Our dogs have been adopted all over,” she told TODAY. “It’s just great to see.”
It’s not so black and white. It’s a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, it’s believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
“To see the dogs thriving, it’s just such an incredible feeling,” Wood said.
A foster dog program at the Aloft Asheville Downtown in North Carolina proved so popular that three other properties managed by McKibbon Hospitality have implemented programs as well. Ninety-five dogs have been adopted from Aloft Orlando (with an upcoming celebration planned for the 100th adoption); 56 from Aloft Tallahassee; 78 from Aloft Greenville; and 124 from the flagship program in Asheville.Emma Ledbetter, corporate food and beverage manager for McKibbon Hospitality, helped implement the program in 2014 after a chance encounter on an airplane with a board member of the nonprofit Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue. The first lobby dog from Charlie’s Angels, a Chihuahua mixed breed named Gabriel, was adopted after only three days.READ ALSO:
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“The dogs come from all different sorts of backgrounds. It could be that their owner died, that someone just didn’t want them anymore, that they’d been abused,” Ledbetter told TODAY. “It just makes me so happy to think that something worked out to where these dogs are now safe and have a home, and will be taken care of.”
A bonded pair of dogs named Summer and Spencer were adopted to a family with two kids, so each child got to have their own dog.Teach Your Children to Ask Permission Before Petting a Strange Dog. There are 4.5 million dog bites in America each year, half of which happen to children. Make sure to teach your children to ask permission before petting any strange dogs.
“I would come into the back office, and she’d be sitting in my chair waiting for me,” she said.
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Jonathan Plesset, president and CEO of the hotel and co-founder of the nonprofit Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team, said the offer ties into his passion for animal rescue and love of pets .Be Diligent about Vet Visits. “Don’t wait for the signs,” Dr. Becker stresses. Focus on “prevention first.” Pets age fast, and when it comes to illness they are programmed to mask weakness, “they’re naturally secretive.” One to two visits a year is ideal, but if you suspect a problem, don’t hesitate, and don’t self-diagnose. “In the last two years I’ve seen four or five cases where people went to the internet for help, and by the time they get to the vet it’s too late,” says Dr. Becker.
“It’s a program we’ll probably just continue doing until they bury me,” he told TODAY with a chuckle.
Even if a hotel doesn’t offer a rescue dog program, travelers can check with local animal shelters about programs for people on vacation . For instance, the Kauai Humane Society in Hawaii offers “Shelter Dogs on Field Trips,” in which tourists can borrow a dog to hike a trail or hit the beach.Mirah Horowitz, executive director of Kauai Humane Society, said the program runs six days a week and has grown so popular that now upward of 18 dogs get to head out on adventures every day. It gives them extra exercise and socialization and, since they wear an “Adopt Me” vest, a chance to meet people outside of the shelter and get adopted.“It’s super helpful for the dogs,” she told TODAY. “And people write to us all the time how it was the highlight of their trip.”
Horowitz said spending time with shelter dogs on vacation is a terrific way to give back to the local community.“Our guests not only have a really fun time taking a dog out and doing all that stuff for the day, but they have that added satisfaction of knowing, ‘I made a difference in this dog’s life today, and I have made a difference in the community in which I am visiting,’” she said. “That’s such a special opportunity.”
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Dogs have a sense of time. It's been proven that they know the difference between a hour and five. If conditioned to, they can predict future events, such as regular walk times.