Now your dogs can enjoy a family-friendly camping experience that is aimed at keeping them healthy, safe and happy.
They will be able to enjoy games, food, enjoyable on-site events, and even live training sessions when accompanying you on a trip into the great outdoors. That is not to speak of around-the-clock pet telehealth as well as accident and illness coverage while your pets are on the road with you. Oh yes, and you also will receive a guide on camping with pets that includes tips on wellness and health. It’s all you can hope to have for yourself on a camping trip—without the live training sessions, of course.
The move to provide camping services for pets is another indication of the way in which pets truly have become members of the family. The new pet-friendly offering is the brainchild of
Embrace Pet Insurance. The company has teamed up with
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) to create what they call family-friendly experiences for those who take their pets with them when they go camping across North America. There are more than 525
KOA campgrounds in North America. They are found in every state in the U.S., with the exception of Hawaii and Rhode Island.
About six in every 10 campers take their pets on vacation with them, according to a survey of 9,000 pet owners by Embrace. Four-legged friends have come so much a part of many people’s families that the insurance company calls their owners “pet parents.”
Campers are used to dealing with the unexpected, whether it be traffic jams, slides that are stuck, blown tires, detours, vent covers that are shattered, or anxiety over a holding tank, says Brian Macias, president of Embrace. Whether you are driving a motorhome, setting up a tent or pulling a trailer, camping is about being ready for what could happen and sorting it out when it does, he says.
Pets add another dimension to preparing for the unexpected, Macias adds. For that reason, KOA and Embrace are helping to make sure campgrounds are ready when it comes to traveling with your pets. KOAs says its campgrounds include amenities and facilities for pets so that pets and their owners can enjoy camping outdoors without being concerned about their safety. The campgrounds have fenced-in areas in which dogs can play and where the pets’ owners can sit and watch them while they are camping. Fresh water and clean-up stations are available. In some campgrounds, separate areas are reserved for small and large dogs. Establishing an enjoyable, safe camping environment for pets and their families is a priority for KOA, says Whitney Scott, chief marketing officer of the organization.
How pets go traveling
Research by Embrace reveals the wide variety of ways in which Americans take their pets with them when they go on vacation.
Pet owners have their pets join them when they travel across the country in a camper or recreational vehicle. They allow their pets to sleep in a tent when they take their pets outdoor camping with them. They take their pets with them when they travel to the mountains, to a lake, or to visit family.
When they go hiking, they take their dogs with them, sometimes when they are only pups. Their pets enjoy swimming while they are on vacation.
Traveling tips for pets
Here are tips for ensuring a safe and healthy camping trip or when you go hiking with your pet:
• Include items for your pet when you pack for your camping trip.
Those items should include water, food, bowls, ID tags, poop bags, collar, a blanket or bed, and a first aid kit that is pet-friendly.
• Check out a hiking trail before taking your dog on it. Make sure your dog is able to complete the trail without becoming exhausted. You might want to take your dog on a long walk beforehand and see how your pet handles it.
Bear in mind also that a trail, particularly one in the mountains, can be considerably more challenging than a walk along a path or road. Rocks along the way, uphill climbs, and even walking through streams take considerably more energy than a simple stroll.
• Avoid activity in the heat of the day. Whether you are hiking or camping, try to avoid being overly active at the time of day when the sun is at its peak. In that way you can prevent your pet from overheating.
If you are unable to avoid exposure to the heat, make sure you have sufficient water available as well as shade in which the dog can rest. Remember, too, that dogs as well as humans can become sunburned.
• Check for poisonous snakes. They might live along a hiking trail or even near your campground. In some parts of the country snakes live in areas close to where you have set up your camping site. Hundreds of thousands of pets are bitten by poisonous snakes every year.
The best way to avoid your pet being bitten is to keep it close to where you are when leaving the immediate vicinity of the campsite.
