There is actually a boutique hotel for dogs, about a 45 minute drive north of Toronto called “Harry & Rupert’s Hotel for Dogs”. Even the website is written from the perspective of Harry & Rupert who are – yes you guessed it – dogs.
Make no mistake; this is not a boarding kennel. Or at least it isn’t like any boarding kennel that I’ve ever seen. The accommodations look very much like motel rooms and they are equipped with amenities that you would expect to find in a room for 2-legged guests, except for the water bowl and the obvious lack of a bathroom. Instead of a turn-down and a chocolate on the pillow the dogs get a homemade treat before bedtime. Each room has:

• comfortable and stylish bedding
• water bowls
• night light
• carpet
• 24 hr CCTV
• fire/smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring

It is recommended that dogs come with their own food, but it is not a requirement. Homemade food can be provided for an extra charge. There is a fitness centre on premises and an agility course should be available in the near future. Rates are $35.00/night, not including food. There are discounts for longer stays and there is even a frequent stay point system in place. Day care is also available for those in the area who do not require overnight accommodation.

I am a dog lover, but I wonder if a set up of this type is designed to assuage the guilt that pet owners feel when they must board their beloved dogs. I don’t think that comfortable and stylish bedding, a night light, or a TV would have made my dog any happier. After all a gilded cage is still a cage, isn’t it? Have you used a doggie hotel for your pet?