Written by By Lindsay Skapin, CNN London
Life just got a little easier for dog owners.
Travel website C.D.C. (Celebrate Designed C.D.C.) says it has eased the travel ban on some of its luxury canine packages for international trips. In response to a petition on Change.org, the online marketplace has now made it legal for dogs to travel under C.D.C. care between destinations worldwide with the permission of the owners.
The change follows news that a luxury travel firm based in London that runs tours and tours with dogs in the offing is taking down a popular treat-filled spa package, “Dog Canine Trip 2016.”
Customers took to social media earlier this month to criticize Travel Ink Global for the rollback.
“I have taken so many amazing vacations with my dog and getting someone to travel for you has made everything worthwhile,” one user wrote in a testimonial on Change.org.
Travel Ink Global, a luxury travel company, stopped selling a holiday with a spa on-site for dogs
Life in luxury
C.D.C. offers bespoke travel packages to dog owners that allow access to world-renowned destinations including Yellowstone National Park, Paphos in Cyprus and Dubai.
An Elegant Dog service, for example, gives dog owners the choice of accompanying their pets on a “White Isle Adventure” through The Bay Club, a luxurious British owned resort in Antigua, or a tour of Andalusia, Spain. The two-day trip costs at least $2,000 and is booked via C.D.C.
A Bark of Europe trip takes dogs to Paphos in Cyprus
Initiatives such as the petition prompted the company to withdraw the Spa Canine Trip which cost $895 and includes a three-day stay at Dragon Spa + Dining in the Nagoya Hills.
But C.D.C. has said on its website that clients with allergies or concerns will still be able to enter as long as the owners are there to supervise the dogs.
The pampered pooch travel ban has been lifted. Credit: Courtesy of C.D.C. Elegant Dog
From canine tourism to travel assistants
According to C.D.C. CEO Andrew Fleischer, the company continues to offer luxury dog travel services at a reduced price.
The site describes travel packages as “the ultimate luxury property experience” and promises to provide beautiful residences designed to transform the entire holiday experience.
This includes “the ultimate in pet-friendly homes with the all the mod cons including whips, toys, fresh food delivery, pet-friendly nanny, vet to diagnose pets and even help with owner psychology.”
The drawback, Fleischer said to CNN Travel, is that dog travel becomes more costly as the miles and experiences go on.
“You’re spending roughly a third of the holiday living in a hotel room with a dog. So as the mileage and the holiday increases you’re spending more per mile than a driver in a car or a private aircraft,” he said.
The President of travel organizer C.D.C. Elegant Dog, Robert ‘Bobby’ Wood, wears the dogsuit. Credit: Courtesy of C.D.C. Elegant Dog
For pet owners who want to explore the world as their dog and not just their pet, Fleece Furry, a travel program launched in 2012, has on-board veterinary care from DogMD and access to the world’s best park dogs from Petco pet care.