Pet Travel

We have an article in This Week In Animal Welfare about pet travel accessories. And they do sound very nice. Too bad we can’t use them in a different way. Like just sitting in the car and pretending to travel. Because there’s no way that I’m going to willingly get into a vehicle and be driven anywhere for the fun of it.

I completely agree with one of Riley’s earlier blogs about cars. But, his article was pretty limited. He was just writing about visits to the vet, the groomer and other nearby places.

I’m talking about t-r-a-v-e-l. Driving long distances for yuks. To that I say, no way. It may be that 21% of all human companions take their dogs on travel with them. But, I fall into the 79% category. And I want to stay there. For life.

Here’s the deal. When Mom puts me in the back of the car and we pull out of the driveway, I have no idea if I will ever again gaze upon the sweet sight of home. And, I have no idea where we’re going. Is it really to someplace fun or just a long trip to the vet?

And those pet hotels. They’re clean and everything. No one hassles us. But, put yourself in my place. Your job is to protect your humans and you hear people walking up and down the corridors and even in the rooms next door. How do you think you’re going to react? Like everything is hunky-dory? I don’t think so. You’re going to be up all night. Constantly on guard to protect your family from the sources of all of those noises. You’re also going to bark to keep these threats at bay. Some fun. For you and yours and everyone else within shouting distance.

Actually, when it comes right down to it, the only place where I really have fun is at home. Home is where I first met my family, where my stuff is, where my job is. It’s the center of my entire universe and I love it that way. I thrive on predictability.

Don’t get me wrong. I live to be with my humans. And I don’t want to sound ungrateful because they go to a lot of trouble to include me in everything. I love them for that. But, when it comes to travel, just leave me at home with a nice pet sitter. I always have them trained in no time. It’s so much easier to be there with one of them than worried and always on patrol in foreign surroundings.

Oh, yeah, have a great trip.

See you on the left side. Right after you get back.