Issue Date: November 14, 2004

Man's best friends hit the road

A slew of products pamper and protect your four-legged travel companions.

By Gwen Moran

Hitting the road this holiday season? Bringing your pets has never been easier, thanks to travel-related products that offer convenience and comfort for four-legged companions. Consider: 62% of pet owners travel with their pets, and more than one-third have stayed in a hotel or motel with them, according to a 2003 American Animal Hospital Association study.

"Just as we've redefined our family, we've redefined what it means to have a family vacation. It's just more fun to take our pets," says Tom O'Leary, the owner of Dog Spa (dogspa.net), a Beverly, Mass., haven for pooches that offers grooming as well as retail and gourmet food products.

The luxe San Ysidro Ranch resort (sanysidroranch.com) in Santa Barbara, Calif., a hot spot for the rich and famous, has rolled out the welcome mat for pets. Cost: $100 per pet per stay, which includes chew toys and bedding. Pet massages and steaks are also available. Budget-minded travelers can check out the 2004 edition of "Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook" ($16.95), available at AAA club offices and in bookstores. You also can go to dogfriendly.com for an online listing of hotels that welcome pets. Here are some products and services that'll keep your pets safe and pampered away from home:

Insurance. With no in-network requirement, VPI Pet Insurance covers medical emergencies wherever pets travel in the USA. Premiums vary by breed and age of pet. (Get free rate quotes at petinsurance.com, or call 800-872-7387.)

Restraints. These are a must. Car-sized kennels work well for small pets; for large pets, look for a safety harness (not pet collar) that attaches to a seat belt or cargo area. Slamming on the brakes could propel a large dog into a passenger or the windshield, causing injury or even death, says Carl Goldberg, inventor of Ruff Rider safety harnesses (ruffrider.com, 720-249-2986; prices start at $29.95).

Strollers. To contain or transport older pets, strollers by Midnight Pass include a rugged "SUV" model (midnightpass.com, 877-844-4438, $129.95-$189.95).

Travel kits. Cloud Star's Buddy Sampler contains travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, soap, collapsible bowl and Buddy Biscuits (cloudstar.com, 800-361-9079, $9.45).

First aid. For on-the-go mishaps, First Aid Only Pet First Aid Kits pack wound care items and a guide (1firstaid.com, about $25-$35).

Travel bowls and feed bags. Planet Dog's foldable polyester-canvas bowl with waterproof lining is ideal for travel. Carry-along poly-canvas feed bags hold 15 to 30 cups of dry food (planetdog.com, 800-381-1516; bowls are $14.95-$16.95, and feed bags are $15.95-$17.95).

Ramps. Retractable safety ramps, like the PetSTEP, left, let your canine climb up and down from SUVs, RVs or pickup trucks (petstep.com, $89.95-$189.95).

Road hounds: Most people who travel with pets take dog (78%), trailed by cats (15%), according to a Travel Industry Association of America poll.