Hit the Road With Your Pet

June 24, 2006 — -- Christian Bryan didn't want to check his dog into a kennel, so he found a place to stay where he could bring his bulldog Duce while he visited New York City on business -- the swanky W hotel.

"It makes work feel less like work and more like fun," Bryan said.

In the past three years, nearly 30 million Americans have opted to take their pets with them instead of keeping their animals in a kennel while they traveled. AAA says the number of lodgings that accept pets has increased by 28 percent since 2003.

"We realized that traveling is an isolating moment," said Ross Klein, president of W Hotels Worldwide. "We realized that we have a lot of guests that are single, and their family structure is their pet. We have a pet therapist, a pet physical therapist, a pet psychologist."

The Queen Mary 2 now allows pets along for the ride. Pets can collect their own frequent flier miles on Continental and United Airlines.

"This is not a trend," said Wendy Diamond, the editorial director of Animal Fair Magazine. "Pets are going to be with us forever, and they are going to travel with us more and more."

Dogs are the most common traveling companion -- making up 78 percent of the pets that travel. Cats make up 15 percent of traveling pets, followed by birds, which make up two percent, and rabbits, ferrets and fish, which combined make up three percent of pets who travel with their owners.

Pet Luxury

With the increase in pet travel, some companies are making more luxurious carriers. The Canine Ranch in New York City sells more than 20 designs of dog carriers, including a take-off on a Chanel bag. It also doubles as a purse."A few years ago, they were looking just for functioanble," said Debbie Levine, the co-owner of the Canine Ranch. "Now they're looking for fashion. They're looking for colors that, you know, show their dog, you know, make their dogs look, um, better."

Dr. Peter Kross, a veterinarian, shared some tips about how to travel with pets on"Good Morning America Weekend Edition."

He recommended several products:

Ruff Rider Doggie Seatbelt, $29.95. It comes in various sizes, from extra small to extra large.

"If you're involved in any accidents or if you have to stop fast, it keeps your pet from flying over the dashboard," Kross said. "It also, more simply, keeps the animal out of your lap so that you can drive. So it provides safety in so many ways. And it's a way for your pet to be safe without having to keep it cooped up in a crate in the back."

Handi-Drink Water Dispenser, $8.99

"You certainly need to have water available for your pet on a trip -- and you can't always be sure that you'll be able to find water, and also water that won't upset their stomach," Kross said. "That's why it's good to bring water from home. It's water that they're used to. And it also gives you something to serve the water in."

Size Right Cat Harness, $8.99

"This is really for the boarding process," Kross said. "As most of us know, cats freak out. So keeping them on a harness makes it so you don't have to chase your cat through the gates. You have a firm hold of him and he can't get away. And it's good to get your cat accustomed to wearing it before you go to the airport so that the security checkpoint isn't the first time they have it on -- get them familiar with it beforehand."

Petmate Sky Kennel

"You want to find the one that has the most ventilation possible -- the most air holes," Kross said. "You want to make sure all the joints are really securely fastened. Put something very absorbent at the bottom of it like a thick towel or a wee-wee pad. If it's an airline trip, you can't put a dish of water in there. But you can buy those gerbil water containers that you can hang in there -- but you'll have to get them accustomed to drinking out of that before you take them on the trip."

Kross said that pets should not be tranquilized unless they become extremely frantic when they travel. "I think it's better if they have their wits about them," Kross said. "So if the crate turns over, they are awake and can right themselves. And I think you should try it at home first: Put them in a crate and take them on a short bus trip or train trip -- which simulates a plane ride -- and see how your pet reacts to the trip. You shouldn't just indiscriminately tranquilize animals."

Kross said that before traveling, pet owners should obtain a health certificate for their animals. The certificate is a statement from the veterinarian which insures that the pet is in good health and up to date with their shots. "Airlines will usually ask for them so that they are free of any liability," Kross said. "And airlines can decline transit if you don't have one. And it has to be dated within 10 days of the actual trip."

Kross said that motion sickness is very common in dogs and cats. He said that you can give your pet Dramamine, the same medicine that humans use. He said to ask your veterinarian about dosage and to make sure that it is taken on an empty stomach.

Kross recommended taking pets on frequent short trips to get them used to being in the car and to the motion sickness they might experience.

He also said that said that pet health insurance, which is owned by about 30 percent of pet-owners, often covers pets when they travel out of state.

ABC News' Nancy Weiner contributed to this report.