My Travels With Cookie

WAITSBURG

-

Paul and Karen

Gregutt adopt­ed their beloved Cookie more than a year ago. But they didn't take the three-year-old Terrier Chihuahua mix on an extended car trip until earlier this year when they drove down the coast to be with family in Palm Springs.

During their first few nights on the road, they quickly made a discovery. As dog owners, the Waitsburg couple was either charged exorbitant rates or, well, rel­egated to the dog house.

"Places are expensive or shabby," Karen Stanton Gregutt said about the lodg­ing options they found along the way. "We gained a whole new appreciation for how "dog people" are treated."

But the experience gave the couple, who own the Waitsburg Cottages, an idea just as they began making plans to convert a rental into their third vacation cottage.

They decided to make their newest lodging prop­erty, the Dogwood Cottage, not only tolerant of dogs but "welcoming," Stanton Gre­gutt said. "We're treating our canine visitors as carefully as our human guests."

If travel trends are any indication, the couple may be barking up the right tree. One out of every four travel­ers gets on the road with their dog these days, according to the industry website Travel Agent Central.

With dogs representing nearly 80 percent of all trav­eling pets, canines are the most popular companions on the road, followed by cats with 15 percent and birds with 2 percent, according to HomeAway.com.

Add to that the growing inclination among Ameri­cans to take vacations by car closer to home and the grow­ing interest in Walla Walla and Waitsburg among dog- loving wine enthusiasts, and the Gregutt's new Dogwood Cottage may be a precision- targeted complement to the town's existing lodging in­ventory.

Stanton Gregutt said the two-bedroom, one-bathroom vacation rental next door to the old Betty's Diner near the corner of Preston and Cop­pei will have an entire utility room dedicated to the wash­ing, drying, feeding, groom­ing, leashing or kenneling of her guests' furry friends.

Inside, the cottage will have dog-friendly furniture coverings and dog beds. Outside, the Dogwood will be equipped with a dedicated "restroom" area and a yard cable for dogs to roam. And did Gregutt mention the place is "kitty" corner from Preston Park?

"The whole thing is set up from the dog's point of view," she said, but expects no trouble from their masters. "Most dog people are incred­ibly responsible, neat and organized."

The Dogwood Cottage, with a base rate of $150/night and a two-night minimum, is scheduled to open in early April and Stanton Gregutt already has bookings.