CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 61 different types of guests: four-legged friends who accompany their owners on trips out of town and those who stay behind for a little "stay-cation" of their own. Either way, many of these facilities go beyond the services of standard kennels, offering pets everything from spacious yards to luxury suites and grooming services. And they can be found at almost any North Carolina departure or destination point. For those planning fall excursions to the mountains, the Biltmore Estate and Winery in Asheville provides visitors with a list of local pet resorts (14 of them) where, for about $10 to $20 a day, dogs and cats can lounge in the lap of pet luxury. At Play with Sparky, a day care and boarding facility, boasts that it is exactly one minute from the main entrance of the Biltmore Winery. A bonus: it's also across the street from a veterinary hospital. Shannon Bruce says the resort receives a lot of business from the busy Biltmore estate, where, sorry, no pets allowed. "They recommend us," she said. "We have two yards, so people can drop their dogs at a place where they can play outside, rather than be stuck in a cage all day." Pets are also prohibited at the swanky Ballantyne Resort Hotel and Spa in Charlotte. But the resort's sister hotel, the Staybridge Suites, welcomes them. This offers guests the opportunity to bring pets but still take advantage of Ballantyne's amenities. Prospective visitors are also directed to area pet resorts. "We always recommend that people call (the pet resorts) and ask personally about what they offer," says concierge Marena Geier, "because each guest is looking for something different for their pet." A little closer to home, Fayetteville offers a variety of pet resorts as does the city of Wilmington, for travelers embarked on day trips or autumn vacations to the coast. For Thanksgiving travelers not able to take Fido to grandmother's house, the Five Points Pet Resort in nearby Raeford urges visitors, "Please don't think of us as a kennel (because) we certainly do not!" The resort gives dogs their own individual suite with bed, door and covered patio. Cats have "condos," their own litter box and multi-leveled play areas. North Carolina's Outer Banks take it one step further. It offers not only pet resorts and pet-friendly beach houses, but doggie daiquiris during late- afternoon "yappy hour" at the Outer Barks boutique in Duck. Most pet resorts, North Carolina and beyond, offer travelers the same recommendations: ask your hotel for its policy on pets, inquire about local pet resorts and then, call in advance to be sure a space is available and don't forget the paperwork. "Anytime you get a bunch of animals together, you need to make sure they're Pampered pets in and around Fayetteville Bed and Biscuit Boarding | 484.0300 | www.Happyboarding.com Cozy Quarters | 864.3457 Dog Days Inn | 426.5700 | www.dogdaysinnpetcare.com Dog E Dog World | 875.7292 Fayetteville Pet Resort | 426.3400 | www.fayettevillepetresort.com Five Points Pet Resort | 904.5787 | www.fivepointspetresort.com Paw Prints Inn | 429.1334 | www.pawprintsinn.net Sandhills Pet Resort | 692.2275 | www.sandhillspetresort.com Urban Dog Outsitters | 822.3647 | www.urbandogoutsitters.com Top | Pebbles peers down at Simon at the Five Points Pet Resort near Raeford Above | Mocha hits the pool at Fayetteville Pet Resort.

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