ANIMAL PLANET

RECOGNIZING that more people are vacationing with their dogs these days (30 million Americans, according to the Travel Industry Association), hotels are adding more pet perks than ever, from Motel 6, whose new pet spokesman, Jack Hanna, doles out advice on the Web site, to New York’s Soho Grand Hotel, which offers pet food on the room service menu.PET FRIENDLY = PETS STAY FREEPlenty of hotels would be delighted to welcome your dog – for a price. Every brand is different. Even within Starwood Hotels & Resorts, you’ll find varying policies. Their W Hotels, for instance, will give you pet tags, clean-up bags, food and water bowls, but you’ll pay a $25 fee, plus $100 non-refundable cleaning fee, and your dog has to be lighter than 40 pounds. On the other hand, Sheraton fees vary, and the weight limit is 80 pounds, although the GM is allowed to use his discretion. Westin charges the $100 cleaning fee, but not the $25 extra.ASK ABOUT OUR “DOG FLOOR”Even Kimpton hotels, the most famous for dog-friendliness, differ in policies. You’ll never pay a fee, but you might stay on a designated pet floor. Both the Monaco in Seattle and Chicago have them. Ask specifically what the dog floor means; In some Comfort Inns, it’s also the smoking floor.CHECK THE NEIGHBORHOODAt Atlanta’s Hotel Indigo, which technically charges a pet deposit but has been known to waive it, the hectic neighborhood isn’t exactly conducive to leisurely walks with your pet. Happily, however, the hotel has installed a dog run in the backyard. Kimpton gives out maps of the area in each hotel. Tip: Find off-leash dog parks in 50 states in the guide section of dogfriendly.com.IN FLIGHTDelta has just raised its fee from $75 to $100 each way on domestic tickets for animals (your dog’s might just cost more than yours). As of May 5, United’s pet fee goes to $100 (from $85.) In general, other airlines charge around $80 each way, but you can expect those fees to rise. Why would charging more for pets offset rising fuel costs? Probably the same way that charging double for unaccompanied minors would: they don’t want to increase fares, so they’ll nickel and dime you – and Rover – to death.SERVICE? SMILE!Big dogs – and by big we mean any dog that won’t fit under the seat in front of you – don’t have the option of riding with you in the cabin, unless they’re service dogs. Instead of checking your dog as luggage, Continental now asks that you put them in cargo since it’s more temperature-controlled than the luggage area. The airline has a 24-hour Live Animal Hotline, so you can track your pet. But fees range from $109 for animals under 10 pounds to $459 for the really big guys. The most current airline pet-transport rules can be found at the Humane Society’s Web site, hsus.org.CHIPPING INAmtrak doesn’t accept pets unless they are service dogs, but plenty of European train companies are fine with it, on certain conditions. In 2006, the EU made rules consistent for pets traveling into the union. Some countries have more stringent rules, but in general, you’ll need to implant your little darling with a microchip. Plenty of other countries are adopting the same requirement. By the end of 2008, you can expect that most anywhere you go outside the US or Canada will require it. Also, check with your vet about getting a blood titre test (a check of your pet’s immune defenses), since more countries are requiring it every day. The United Arab Emirates has recently starting requiring test results, as have several Caribbean nations. Nearly every country asks that the forms be certified by the State USDA veterinarian. Check pettravel.com for more info.