Missing Your Pet When You Travel?

I have seen more photos of dogs and cats over the past few weeks than I have of kids! Maybe the travelers I’m talking to are empty-nesters rather than parents with little ones at home or their pet has an equal status in their household to their kids. Either way, get someone started on a discussion of their dog or cat and invariably the photos come out.

Our pet’s behavior when we are preparing to leave or their excitement when we arrive back home are the common topics of conversation. My dog Toby is usually sitting by the front door on Thursday evenings around the time that I am due to get home. My husband doesn’t have to say anything to him about my homecoming; Toby just knows. He also knows when I’m about to leave home again. As I pack my suitcase, he gets restless. His sad eyes break my heart.

There are a lot of pet friendly travel websites and vacation ideas. I have seen many dogs being loaded in to the cargo holds of planes, a few walking around hotels, and have even heard of some finding their way on to cruise ships. As much as I miss Toby, I don’t plan on bringing him along on any trips. He is always taken care of when we are out of town and he wouldn’t do well being cooped up for hours in a hotel room, the underbelly of a plane, or the backseat of a car.

I’m writing about my dog during my vacation because of a run in we had with a local. My husband and I were walking the town streets of Grand Turk in the Caribbean and many dogs were roaming about. We found a dog who was almost an exact replica of Toby! They could have been brothers … but this Caribbean doppelgänger was a bit larger and a little less gray in the snout.

That’s when my husband and I really started missing Toby. Again, we started talking with others about their pets … and more dog and cat pictures started coming out…

I’d love to see a picture of your faithful friend! Post links in the comments below and also let us know your experience traveling with pets.