I just got back from a trip to Pennsylvania with my two dogs, and stayed at a Holiday Inn that charged $15 per dog, per night. We all enjoyed our stay.

Holiday Inn is just one of a growing number of hotels and motels to offer this convenience for those of us who wish to bring our pets along for the ride.

Check out luxurypaw.com, petswelcome.com, DogFriendly.com and DogFriendlyHotels.org, for a plethora of lodging options, or get Fodor’s “On the Road with Your Pet,” a Mobile Travel Guide.

And for a unique option for air travel, check out Pet Airways, the world’s first pet-only airline.

For years, Lydia Savala would drive from her home in a nice area of Santa Ana, California towards the more rundown downtown area and she picked up stray dogs along the way. Or, on trips to her parents’ home in San Bernardino, she would see dogs wandering around and try to round them up. “They were on the street, and were in horrible condition,” says Savala, a researcher for financial companies. This passion for picking up pooches led Savala to start the rescue group PoochMatch, which last year found new homes for over one hundred homeless dogs; in 2009 that number is expected to double.

PoochMatch consists primarily of Savala — who fosters eight to 12 dogs at a time — and one other steady volunteer, Donna Nieto, who sometimes fosters over a dozen dogs at a time (all of the small ones), and a handful of other foster moms. They take in dogs found on the streets and dogs about to be killed in local shelters that Savala says have extraordinarily high euthanasia rates.

“You don’t have to be huge to make a difference,” Savala says. “You don’t have to have 100 people to be effective. If you have a few dedicated people committed to animal rescue, you can accomplish something you can be proud of. It means that those dogs (that PoochMatch pulled from shelters) did not end up in a bucket to die.”

Halo recognized PoochMatch with a donation of 200 cases of Spot’s Stew, food that has been used to bring the malnourished dogs who arrive into their care back to health. Savala always has a few cases of Spot’s Stew in her Honda Element, using the food to lure stray dogs she encounters into her care. “If a dog is not a puppy, it’s hard to catch an adult dog,” she says, “so the best I can do is leave the food out for the dog to eat or use it to coax the dog into someone’s backyard.”

Once Savala saw a homeless woman with a dog, and gave her some of the Spot’s Stew. About four months ago, when the San Bernardino city shelter ran out of food, Savala says she “would personally hand cans of food” to volunteers at the shelter.

One PoochMatch dog that thrived on Spot’s Stew was named Miss Maddie, who Savala rescued from a college student. “I was shocked to see the dog chained up, and the dog’s eyes were watering profusely,” Savala says. The college student admitted she had chained Miss Maddie up for two months.

“Miss Maddie was one of the dogs who benefited greatly from Spot’s Stew,” Savala says. “She was eating garbage for months.” Savala’s sister fostered Miss Maddie, who gained about 10 pounds in the three months she had her before finding her a forever home.

Savala wants to make the cans of Spot’s Stew last as long as possible, and mixes it with the Spot’s Stew kibble she’s bought. Says Savala: “I’ve never had a problem with any dog consuming Halo.”

Anyone who is diabetic knows how critical diet can be in maintaining health. “Cujo’s Mom”, a long-time pet owner from Fort Worth, Texas, published this story after her purchase of Halo Spot’s Stew canned chicken for dogs from drugstore.com:

This dog food has changed my dogs health
★★★★★5.0

Pros
• Digests Well
• Easy To Chew
• Good for diabetic dogs
• Great for skin conditions
• Nutritional
• Tasty

Cons
• None

“My Min Pin has pancreatitis and is diabetic. The dog food the Vet put him on has a lot of corn in it and he started getting sores on his skin and his hair was falling out all over his body. I switched him to Halo. He has been on it for about 3 weeks and his skin is clearing up, he sleeps through the night for the first time in months. I have been able to reduce his insulin because his sugar levels have dropped since I put him on Halo. I think this is the best dog food on the market.”

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

The Humane Society of the United States just announced the winner of its 2009 Dogs of Valor Awards — Baby, a Great Dane from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here is Baby’s story:

After an exhausting stretch of cancer treatment, 82-year-old Elwood Cardon wanted to get away. He knew his family worried about him, so one night he decided to quietly slip out of his daughter’s house with his dog, Baby.

On the way to his mountain home, Elwood became disoriented and took the wrong turn. As he turned the car around, his tires slipped off the road, and the SUV plummeted 20 feet downhill where it wedged upside down between two trees.

Pinned inside, Elwood honked the horn and screamed for help. No one came. The passenger side window had shattered, and as it grew colder the 5-year old Great Dane snuggled with Elwood, keeping him warm and alert.

Several times she crawled out of the SUV to seek help, but each time she returned alone. Ten hours later, Baby finally got the attention of one of the remote area’s few residents.

The woman followed the dog, and when she saw the wreckage she quickly called for help. Fortunately, firefighters were able to pull Elwood to safety. He was treated for a cracked spine. Elwood Cardon passed away on January 28, 2009 at his home in Jemez Springs, N.M.

Click here to meet all of 2009’s Dog’s of Valor.

Q: My 4 ½ month old German Shepherd has been diagnosed with red mange. It started on her head and is spreading around her eyes. Do you have suggestions to help speed her recovery?

A: Red mange (also known as demodectic mange) is a common skin disease of young dogs. Hair loss is the most common sign of red mange, however, crusty red skin or skin with a greasy appearance are also frequently seen. These areas may or may not itch. Hair loss and other skin abnormalities usually begins around the muzzle, eyes and other areas on the head. Mange can be localized or generalized.

Localized mange is most frequent on the head and forelegs of young dogs (usually 3-6 months old). Most of these areas resolve spontaneously (without treatment) as the puppies become older and develop immunity to mange mites. Red mange can also be generalized in which the skin abnormalities can be severe and affect the whole body. Some dogs with generalized mange will become quite sick with lethargy, loss of appetite, and require close medical treatment and monitoring.

The good news is that most cases of red mange are localized and may resolve spontaneously or with a topical treatment. A topical 1% rotenone ointment (Goodwinol) or a 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (common human acne treatment) applied daily are usually very effective at treating localized mange. Sometimes these areas become infected and need therapy with an antibiotic in order to clear up completely. If the areas don’t seem to be responding, ask your veterinarian about the need for an antibiotic.

It is also recommended that affected dogs are fed a high quality natural diet, given a multivitamin and fatty acid supplement and bathed weekly with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo to speed their recovery.

If these localized skin abnormalities seem to be spreading, contact your veterinarian immediately as the mange may be becoming more generalized and require more extensive treatment. For more information on generalized red (demodectic) mange, see http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2101&aid=729.

Good Luck!
Dr. Donna Spector