Pet-Friendly Places and Businesses in Portland, Oregon
Trying to find good care for a pet is akin to trying to find good day care, or a good babysitter, for a child. A pet owner frequently looks for the same qualities in pet boarding that a mom and dad would look for in a babysitter. This may cause a great deal of stress on the dog’s human when planning a vacation, and then stress on the dog when they are left behind.
Well, if Portland, Oregon is your vacation destination, don’t leave Fido behind! Portland is a pet-friendly city, boasting restaurants, hotels, parks, and outings that welcome well-behaved dogs.
You can find hotels in downtown Portland, or in adjacent bedroom communities, that cater to the pet owner. Some of the hotels that welcome your pooch are The Benson Hotel, Fifth Avenue, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Hotel Mallory, Hilton Portland, Super 8, RiverPlace Hotel, and The Red Lion on the River. There are many more hotels in Portland that welcome pets, so be sure to ask when looking around.
There are also quite a few parks in the Portland area that welcome pooches, both leashed and off-leash. As usual, bring waste bags with you to clean up after Fido, so that everyone may enjoy the park. To find which parks are dog friendly, and any restrictions that may exist, take a look at the website Portland Online. It has an extensive list of parks, showing designations of fenced and unfenced sites, as well as which are off-leash, leash required, and for what hours.
After exercising at the park, you and the puppy will be hungry, and Portland is known for its great variety of restaurants. You will be surprised at the number of restaurants in Portland that welcome leashed, well mannered dogs in their outdoor seating area. A few such restaurants are Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, Divine Caf�©, Tin Shed Garden, City Thai, and the Old Lompoc. Remember what a wonderful resource the internet is. Before leaving for your trip, call up the Dex Online phone directory, and check with the restaurants to find out if your hound may join you for dinner.
There are also activities that your dog may enjoy with you. If you visit The Grotto, which is a Catholic Shrine and botanical garden that encompasses 62 beautiful acres, you are welcome to bring your four legged friend. The pet must be leashed and well behaved, and as usual you must clean up any deposits. Check their calendar to find out when the annual blessing of the animals is. This event celebrates the positive impacts that pets have on our lives.
Another activity you and Fido will enjoy is a trip to the Saturday Market, located under the Burnside Bridge. This Market is the largest continuously run outdoor market in the country. You are able to enjoy this market from the first weekend in March to December 24th. They even have items that Fido will sit up and beg for. That new leash, porcelain water bowl, or sweater that all the other dogs own, and yours just can’t do without! Be sure to bring your check book, or better yet that credit card with the dog picture on it!
To ensure that you and your puppy enjoy the trip, be sure to bring all the items that he/she needs. Water in the car for the trip, food and water bowls, food, treats, toys, leash, plastic bags to pick up the waste, and any medication that your four legged friend may be taking.
If for any reason you must put a muzzle on your pet when in public, please remember that the only way a dog can cool off is by panting. Dogs can get overheated, even on a cool day, if they are being active, or if they are stressed. Please be sure that the muzzle allows the dog to open its mouth for panting and also has adequate ventilation and air flow. It can be fatal if a dog becomes overheated and can’t cool down.
If this is the first time that your dog has traveled any distance in a car, check with your vet to find out what medication you may bring to help in case your pooch becomes anxious or motion sick. Also, be sure to stop periodically to let them stretch, sniff, and relieve themselves.
If you stop to eat on a warm or hot day or night, please remember that the pooch is in the car, and that even if you have the windows rolled down a bit, the temperature will still rise to over 90 – 100 degrees in a short period of time. Don’t leave the dog in the car! Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death are all too often a result.
Another tip is to surf the net and jot down the local Veterinarian and pet store locations, and then look them up on a search engine such as MapQuest. It is always a good idea to be prepared for anything. Chances are you won’t need it, but in the eventuality that you do, you are prepared and there will be less stress for you and your pooch.
Eat, drink, play fetch, heel, and be merry!!
http://www.travelportland.com/visitors/visguide/pdx18.html
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=39523
http://www.dexonline.com/
http://www.portlandneighborhood.com/
