Want to include the family pet in this summer’s travel plans? Before you do so, it’s important to know the rules and regulations of your vacation spot when it comes to bringing your favorite pooch or kitty. Pet travel can be lots of fun, but it can turn into a real hassle if you don’t know how your dog or cat will be cared for. A few policies of the most popular vacation spots:

Beaches:
- Ocean City, MD: Pets are not allowed on the beach or boardwalk between May 2 and September 30.
- Dewey Beach, DE: Dogs are allowed year round, but from Memorial Day through Labor Day, they can only be on the beach before 9:30am and after 5:30pm. You must obtain a Dewey Beach Dog License before bringing your dog at any time of year.
- Virginia Beach, VA: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, pets are not allowed on the beach from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
- Hilton Head, SC: Leashed dogs are permitted at any time of year.
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL: This beach has an area set aside in which leashed dogs can be brought Friday through Sunday from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. You must obtain a dog license.
- Long Beach, CA: A special “Dog Zone” is available where dogs can run without leashes. All dogs must have tags and vaccination paperwork.

Amusement Parks:
- Disney World and DisneyLand: Both offer kennels and pet daycare service.
- Sea World: The park offers an air-conditioned kennel outside the main entrance.
- King’s Dominion: Pets can be boarded in an air-conditioned facility.
- Busch Gardens: Pet care is available in a ventilated facility, but it is not temperature controlled.
- Universal Studios (Orlando and Los Angeles): Pet kennels are available during park hours.
- Six Flags (Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, Arlington): Dogs and cats can be boarded in a kennel located at the main entrance
- Six Flags (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Louisville, Baltimore/DC, Springfield, Jackson, Lake George): Pets are not permitted.

Cruises:
- Carnival Cruises: Pets cannot be brought on board.
- Queen Mary 2 Cruises: Pets can be brought onto the ship, where there is a kennel that is open throughout the day to allow vacationers to spend time with their pets.

If your vacation destination does not offer pet services, you may want to look into any number of pet friendly hotels where you can stay with your dog or cat. Before heading to any destination, however, make sure to confirm their policy in advance. As noted, many amusement parks offer pet daycare, but some will require reservations and most will ask that you bring vaccination information with you. Many of those that offer kennel services require you to bring your own food as well, so make sure you’ve got some of your pet’s favorite natural pet food on hand to take with you!

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 9:20 am and is filed under News, Pet Facts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.