L.A.'s Downtown Dogs Get The Royal Treatment

      Does a bath in Parental Unit's tub count as "royal treatment"?

We love this trend: Pet parents continue to be increasingly insistent that their pets receive the best treatment and have access to all the amenities they could possibly desire. Check out the high end services these apartment and condo complexes in downtown Los Angeles offer their pet-owning customers. A grassed rooftop deck with toys and treats? Check. Concierge dog walkers—yes! On-site bathing and grooming facilities? Of course.

Now these amenities may seem over the top to most of us (or we just provide the concierge services ourselves), but we think this trend means our pets are family members, and we want them treated like family members wherever they go. And to us, this is a positive step forward.

Parental Unit, for one, loves it when I'm welcomed into shops, banks and other places of business in our community, just like I was a human customer. In turn, Parental Unit takes me more places with her, and I get to share her life rather than sit home waiting for her return. Let us know what you think about this trend—is your apartment complex or neighborhood pet friendly?

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Dogs Are Welcomed, Not Just Accepted

Pooch relaxing in a "Palapa" while his owner is staying at the Viceroy Riveiera Maya in Mexico. Photo courtesy of

We've certainly written about hotels and other lodgings that offer luxurious pet amenities, but this recent article in The New York Times shows us just how "welcoming" to pets some hotels can be. In one resort in Mexico, dogs are "blessed by a shaman...and receive a garland of shells and flowers, before retiring to their own little thatched hut (See above photo). Others are offering "canine themed weekends" where you and your pooch can hike the afternoon away, and bake biscuits for a midnight snack.

A survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association says that a whopping 61% of properties allow pets-and Travelocity's site has 20,500 hotels listed as pet friendly. This trend likely reflects our growing acceptance of pets as members of our families—family members who we want to take with us on vacation and even on business trips.

How many of you regularly travel with your dog and stay overnight at an inn or hotel? What kind of pet amenities have you indulged in? Let us know!

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