Type "dog-friendly hotels" into your favorite search engine, and you'll be overwhelmed with the results. But which website to trust? There's nothing worse than showing up at your hotel only to learn your four-legged family member is not welcome after all. (As once happened to us upon a 2:00 a.m. arrival at a supposedly dog-friendly hotel in Oklahoma City. But more on that below...)

So I was glad to stumble upon a new (for me) dog-friendly travel site called BringFido.com recently. Founder Melissa Kendall launched the site in 2005 after trying to book a Cape Cod stay for a friend's wedding at several supposedly dog-friendly hotels listed on another website. When she called each hotel and found that they did not, in fact, permit pets, she decided the world needed a reliable dog-friendly travel site.

A few months later, Kendall launched BringFido.com, featuring hotel listings, reviews, and reservations, profiles of dog-friendly cities, and information on airline policies.

Now that Chaucer has a younger traveling companion in the form of his five-month-old lab sister, I appreciated that BringFido.com's hotel search function allows you to specify how many dogs as well as people you need accommodations for. Good idea!

The search function does require you to input the intended dates of your stay. This was a bit frustrating, as I simply wanted to do a general search for dog-friendly lodgings in several places we're interested in visiting or returning to. I tried Freeport, Maine, for example, using a variety of dates, but the historic inn there that Chaucer reviews on his website never came up.

So I'm not sure if the inn had no rooms available for the dates I chose or is just not part of BringFido.com's database. (Two local chain hotels that welcome dogs did come up, though, so I now know the town offers a variety of dog-friendly lodgings.)

The other feature I like is the city profiles, which provide general information about the destination followed by a description of a specific dog-friendly tourist attraction. Chaucer joined us on a visit to Asheville, North Carolina, several years ago to meet with one of my company's business book authors. At the time, I did not think to check whether the famous Biltmore Estate is dog-friendly – but BringFido.com lists its grounds as the "don't miss" attraction for visitors to Asheville.

Likewise, I was pleased to find out that BringFido.com features the 446-acre National Arboretum under its Washington, D.C. spotlight. Having paid his respects at Arlington National Cemetery on his previous visit, I know Chaucer will enjoy visiting someplace where he can do a little more romping on his next trip to the nation's capital.

Lastly, I like the fact that BringFido.com founder and her pooch Rocco are pictured on the site and personally do much of the research themselves for the dog-friendly listings – just as we do at ChaucerSeesAmerica.com. It's good to know there's a real person, with a real dog, getting the real scoop on places you're planning to visit. Far too many dog-friendly travel websites are just glorified yellow pages listings.

Back to that overnight stay in Oklahoma City! Severe travel had delayed us, hence the extremely late arrival. As you may know, there's not a lot on I-40 East of Oklahoma City. When calling Red Roof's 800-number earlier in the day, I told the representative we had a dog with us. (Although Red Roof actively promotes itself as pet-friendly, always verify the policy at each location when making a reservation; we came across a Red Roof once that did not allow pets because the owner was severely allergic to their dander.) She said that was fine and read me their stated pet policy – apparently not noticing this particular location did not allow pets.

As I stood bleary-eyed at check-in hours later, I saw to my shock a countertop sign reading something to the effect that due to a local ordinance, no animals are allowed in hotel rooms within the city. As my eyes widened at the prospect of sleeping in the car overnight with an infant and a dog, the young clerk must have caught sight of Chaucer bouncing around on the lawn out front looking for the perfect tree. He deftly slid the sign out of sight and handed me my keys to a room in the far back.

(Not to fear, fellow travelers, Oklahoma City now offers plenty of dog-friendly hotels. The rule must have been changed in the last year or two. I do know it wasn't a trick of the eyes at that late hour, because I mentioned the incident when making another reservation some months later. That rep looked up the Oklahoma City location. Sure enough, no pets due to local law.)

What's the biggest surprise or near-nightmare situation you've had at a hotel check-in?

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robinmbyers |10-6-2008 Great entry.. I have a new old dog and plan to do some traveling next summer to see colleges with my teenager. I thought it would be hard enough to find a place for a teenager let alone a big black dog! Thanks for the great tips - and the humor was fun too. ReplyQuote 0 0

dinak |10-1-2008 Fabulous dog friendly traveling tips. I have also found with a little negotiation at "pet-unfriendly" hotels, they will bend the rules and let canines stay without paying a big fee Of course, the hospitality may not be equal to a Lowes hotel, but it is always wonderful to have my furry best friend on little adventures out of town. ReplyQuote 0 0

lisaaviva |10-2-2008 It's amazing that it took so long for a dog-friendly listing of hotels around the country! Haven't we had pets for years? Bravo Melissa Kendall and Robyn McCarthy for their much needed websites!!! Our pets thank you.... ReplyQuote 0 0

cathyandmatt |10-3-2008 Thank you Robyn for this great article. If it wasen't for you I would have never known about the websites!! Thanks again ReplyQuote 0 0

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