Pet travel awards honor New York City, others

NEW YORK -- A magazine for animal-lovers is honoring New York, Continental Airlines, a hotel in Austin, Texas, and a resort in Arizona with pet travel awards.

The Big Apple was selected as the pet-friendliest destination of 2008 by Animal Fair, a lifestyle magazine for pet owners. It's one of the seven winners of this year's Cesar Five Dog Bone Awards, voted on by readers.

In the city, visitors and their pets can enjoy "pampering at the many hound-hospitable hotels" and "dining at canine-cuisine restaurants," the magazine says.

The other six winners this year were:

• Airline: Continental Airlines, whose PetSafe program allows animals too large for the passenger cabin to travel as cargo instead of baggage, ensuring their comfort and safety, the magazine says.
• Automobile: Volvo, for its large interiors, great for carrying puppy gear.
• Hotel: The Driskill Hotel, in Austin, Texas, which offers comfy pet beds, gourmet pet treats and chew toys. "There's going to be a huge stampede of vacationing pets and their owners visiting The Driskill," the magazine says.
• Product: Sherpa pet carriers, considered stylish and functional.
• Resort: Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Animal shelter: Humane Society of Louisiana.

The annual Dog Bone Awards recognize the roles that pets play in people's lives and the establishments that cater to them. Winners are selected based upon their excellence in pet-friendly travel and product services.