To celebrate International Dog Day taking place on 26th August 2020, we highlight a number of fur-tastic events, hotels and eateries around the world that show their love and support for pups, mutts and pooches.
Mammoth Mountain’s Paws on Patrol
www.visitmammoth.com
Mammoth Lakes is home to one spectacular mountain that transforms into skiers paradise come winter and with that comes a very special, and very fluffy, search and rescue team! The mountain’s four-legged patrollers are highly trained to help search for people in the event of an avalanche and are crucial members of the safety team, as well as being wonderfully cute. The team is made up of six pooches – ranging from Chief, a black lab who began duty in 2008, to the newest recruit Remi, a German Wirehaired Pointer who rode her first chairlift aged only 2 months! Check out a video of the Paws on Patrol team hard at work. If visitors don’t manage to spot these pups on the mountain they can head to the Mammoth Lakes Basin and take a stroll around Horseshoe Lake, which is one of the most popular dog walking trails in the area.
Winston & Churchill in West Hollywood
www.visitwesthollywood.com
The London West Hollywood hotel is home to two adorable English Bulldogs and official mascots – Winston & Churchill. Named for the iconic British Prime Minister, the dynamic duo call the luxury Los Angeles property their full-time home. Each day, guests have the chance to meet, greet and play in their favourite hangout, Hampton Court, or say hi during their many walks around the property, and while they’re lounging at our rooftop pool. Groups hosting events can invite Winston & Churchill to join the party (for up to one hour) as part of a $250 donation to a local Los Angeles animal shelter. The hotel is dog friendly for guests too, who can treat their pets to “Winston’s Menu” – a dog-friendly culinary offering created by Executive Chef Anthony Keene.
It’s A Dog’s Life in The American Riviera, Santa Barbara
www.santabarbaraca.com
Santa Barbara, AKA The American Riviera, on California’s Central Coast welcomes four-legged friends as much as any visitors. Canary Santa Barbara, which doesn’t charge extra for four-legged guests, is the ideal place to stay and steps from State Street’s vibrant shopping and dining area. Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company is happy to accommodate pups in its outdoor seating area and even has a specific menu just for dogs, including steak bites, chicken strips and frozen marrow bone. Pooches are welcomed at Arroyo Burro beach, also called Hendry’s, where there’s a dog-washing station, and for sailers Sunset Kidd welcomes dogs onboard its 41-foot touring yacht any time, any day.
Pampered Pet Package and Dog Massage at Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite
www.yosemite.com
Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite is the ultimate dog-friendly resort. The hotel’s “best in show” lodge offers a robust welcome with a long list of tail-wagging amenities. Guests can try the Deluxe Pampered Pet Package, which includes a special Gourmet Dog Bone Biscuit baked by Tenaya’s Executive Chef, a dog toy, pet sitting time, as well as a deluxe dog massage. A trained massage therapist utilises hands-on massage techniques to relax muscles, stimulate circulation, and enhance range of motion. This treatment not only pampers, it also helps provide relief from chronic pain and discomfort from arthritis. Each treatment concludes with a paw massage using 100% organic and natural paw balm to soothe and protect and a delicious all natural dog treat.
Pirates PUP Nights at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
www.visitpittsburgh.com
With dog-friendly vendors and snacks available throughout the game, Pup Nights at PNC Park (home to the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team) is a hugely popular activity for Pittsburgers and sports fans. What make Pirates Pup Nights unique are their frequency and the ballpark itself that looks out onto the picturesque city skyline. While other teams generally hold one or two dog-friendly nights a year, the Pirates have dog-friendly action all season long and in addition the miles of riverfront trails, outside space and pet-friendly bars and restaurants, Pittsburgh is one very pooch friendly city.
Sniff-In the Fresh Mountain Air of the High Sierra, Tuolumne County
www.visittuolumne.com
Located just 2.5 hours from the San Francisco Bay area, Tuolumne County is made up of the Gold Country, Yosemite National Park and the High Sierra and offers miles of open spaces, fresh mountain air and off the grid adventures. The Stanislaus National Forest is full of pup-friendly trails to hike and a local favourite is the Sugar Pine Railway Trail, an easy level six-mile round trip trail that runs along the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. Another High Sierra local pastime is renting kayak or boat at the Pinecrest Lake Marina and ideal for trekking across the lake. There are also plenty of pet-friendly lodging accommodation nearby, including the McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast, the Pinecrest Chalet, and Lazy Z Resort.
Dog friendly beaches in Florida’s Paradise Coast
www.paradisecoast.com
Naples Bay Resort is pet friendly, and with its own marina, it’s a great place to rent a boat across Naples Bay to Keewaydin Island. This beautiful eight-mile long barrier island beach allows dogs on leashes and is the only dog-friendly beach in the greater Naples and Marco Island area. Just south of Marco Island in the Ten Thousand Islands, there are even more deserted beach islands where the pooch can romp to his or her heart’s content.
Dog-friendly rooms in Okayama Prefecture, Japan
The Shiroyama Terrace Tsuyama Bettei’s dog-friendly rooms make it the perfect place for those who do not want to leave their pets at home. Rooms are well equipped and can be accessed by a specific dog-friendly elevator. All rooms come with a wooden dog run and playground equipment free of use and the hotel offers an array of dog toiletries, including shampoo, towels and even a special dog dryer. Each pet-friendly room has a separate washroom containing a bathtub dedicated to dogs which can be used as a relaxing hot spring. Guests who are heading out for the day can request dog-only carts to travel with, as well as impressive dog cake meals to be prepped and ready for their return.
The real life paw patrol! Snowmass Mountain Ski Patrol, Colorado
www.colorado.com
In conjunction with Snowmass Mountain Ski Patrol, guests at the Limelight Hotel Snowmass, Colorado can assist with the organisation’s safety patrols which includes a “sweep” of the mountain each night to make sure everyone is down safely. This exclusive opportunity to go behind-the-scenes is open to hotel guests who are intermediate and advanced skiers. The pet friendly Limelight Hotel Snowmass also offers colourful dog beds, metal water bowls and a Limelight logoed dog tags for guests’ pets. Guests can also purchase the Limelight logoed food bowl, Limelight bandana and logoed leash for their furry friends.
Visit Durango, a dogs’ (and dog-lovers’) paradise
The historic city of Durango, located in Southwest Colorado, is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the USA. It is home to the scenic 24-acre Durango Dog Park; numerous bronze canine sculptures, created by local artist Patsy Davis and dog-friendly hotels, including the historic Rochester Hotel & Leland House with its ‘Secret Garden’ for pets. It even has its own dog event – Purgatory Resort’s annual “Mutt ‘n Strut” event offers a 5km dog and owner race, a pet parade, agility demonstrations and doggie olympics. Furthermore, Durango Dog Ranch runs year-round sled dog tours in Hesperus, just outside Durango. Visitors can enjoy a dog sledding tour and visit the kennels afterwards to spend cuddle time with the sled dogs.
