NY Is Top Pet-Friendly Place for 2008

NEW YORK —

The Big Apple has gone to the dogs — and is being awarded for it. The city has been selected as the pet-friendliest destination of 2008, according to 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 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.

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.

Animal Fair editorial director Wendy Diamond created the awards after traveling across the United States and to Russia, Greece and Mexico with her Maltese, Lucky.

"Traveling with your pet should be as natural and easy as traveling with your children, with one big exception," Diamond said Tuesday. "Children don't have to travel under the seat!"