Colorado dog wins national pet-travel photo contest DENVER, Feb. 15 — For the second time in three years, a Colorado dog has outshone more than a thousand other entries to be one of the cover dogs for the next edition of Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook. Dory, a Shih Tzu from Grand Junction, is one of two winners of the AAA national pet-travel photo contest and will be featured on the spine of the upcoming 10th edition of the book, which will be released in May. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, Fluffy and Fido are popular travel companions, with 14 percent of all U.S. adults (29.1 million) saying they have traveled with a pet on a trip of 50 miles or more in the past three years. Dogs are the most common type of pet to take along (78%). Cats came in a distant second with 15 percent of travelers taking their feline friend. A few report traveling with birds (2%) and either a ferret, rabbit, or fish (3%). Auto or truck is the primary mode of transportation (76%), followed by RV (10%) and airline (6%). While travelers with pets most often stay with friends or relatives (32%), an almost equal number stay in a hotel or motel (29%). There are more than 13,000 AAA Approved pet friendly hotels and campgrounds in America, and nearly 400 in Colorado. The Denver metro area leads Colorado cities in the number of pet friendly hotels and campgrounds with 98, followed by the Colorado Springs metro area with 41. Grand Junction and Ft. Collins have 12 in each city. "Many travelers consider their pets a part of the family, so it should be no surprise that more travelers are taking their pets along on their vacations," says Sandra Barnes, AAA Director of Travel Services. "We are pleased to see more hotels and campgrounds catering to the needs of travelers with pets so there is more of an option for travelers to take their pet with them on vacation." All PetBook hotel listings include Diamond rating, fees, permitted pet sizes and conditions of stay. In addition to listing pet-friendly accommodations in the United States and Canada, the book includes many useful tips for pet owners on topics including choosing a pet sitter, selecting a kennel, preparing your pet for travel and selecting a carrier or crate. The AAA PetBook also gives a comprehensive list of dog parks in each state, tips for flying with your pet, emergency animal clinics and pet friendly attractions. The photo of Dory that earned the Grand Junction dog a place on the upcoming PetBook, features her sitting on kayak, all set to go for a ride. Dory was named for the dory rowing boats on the Colorado River. The photo was submitted by Daniel and LaDonna Ishida who said, "We travel with our pets because we enjoy their company, and vice versa." In addition to Dory's photo appearing on the cover, the Ishida's will receive $100 in AAA Visa Gift cards and two copies of the AAA PetBook. In 2006, a West Highland White Terrier named Kenzie from Castle Rock was one of the two dogs chosen nationally to appear on the cover of the AAA PetBook. A Goldendoodle from Ontario, Canada named Libby will appear on the back cover of the 2008 PetBook perched on a rock in front of the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia. Visit www.aaa.com/PetBook to see photos of the winners, download an entry form for the next contest and get many valuable pet-friendly travel tips. The 10th edition of the AAA PetBook is available at 10 AAA Colorado travel stores in Denver, Boulder, Aurora, Wheat Ridge, Northglenn, Centennial, Littleton, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Fort Collins. For AAA Colorado office locations visit www.aaa.com/offices. AAA Colorado has more than 500,000 members in Colorado and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com. For more information about insurance questions, please call 877-244-9790. Media: Sign up to receive news and updates from AAA. |
