Dogs Took Over L.A.'s Poshest Hotels--and Made Things Better (first time in several weeks that I smiled reading)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Packs of Chow Chows, Pharaoh Hounds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and other high-end pure-bred dogs have taken over the hotels of Los Angeles, from the poshest on down. Wildfires sent thousands of families pouring into hotels here – along with their pets — temporarily turning accommodations across the city into some of the toniest kennels in the world.
Los Angeles is renowned as a pet lover’s paradise where some pooches even get mansions. U.S. News & World Report ranked it the most popular city to have a dog. Hotels here, from the most opulent on down, have long welcomed the occasional pets. But the past couple of weeks have strained even the most animal-friendly lodging. Though the hotel crunch has eased, dogs still roam elevators, hallways and the grassy patches out front. Cats usually keep to their rooms.
One Beverly Hills hotel concierge said on the first night of the fires, the lobby was “like Doctor Doolittle.” Staff reported dogs, cats and rabbits have panted, pranced and hopped through their lobbies. Far from causing mayhem, the sheer number of dogs has helped ease the stress of the many guests who either lost their homes or were unsure if they did, said Rosa Schläger, director of sales and marketing for Kimpton properties in L.A.
Many dogs have acclimatized to their cramped digs and the bizarre experience of riding elevators after spending much of their lives on grassy lawns. Front desk staff have been handing out treats. Now some dogs come into the lobby and head straight for the check-in counter to await their snack, Schläger said.
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When the fires came to the Palisades, Marc Chaiet grabbed passports, birth certificates and cash, then got the family dog and his daughter’s hamster. Figuring out what to do with Stevie, Chaiet’s five-foot-long California King snake, was more challenging. Stevie normally lives in his 80-gallon tank – which Chaiet couldn’t fit in his car. So he put Stevie in a plastic bin with some weights and beanbags on the lid so he didn’t break out and try to swallow the hamster. Stevie escaped and crawled under a seat but didn’t get to the hamster.
The family initially housed Stevie, named after Stevie Wonder, in the classroom where his wife teaches in Santa Monica. But when the school closed, Chaiet brought him to the Sea Shore Motel where his family and dog were already staying. Sonia Metz, co-owner of the motel, said she didn’t have a problem with Stevie as long as he didn’t visit other guests. “We’ve never had snakes here before and rabbits and guinea pigs. We may have to change the name of the Sea Shore to Green Acres,” said Metz.
More..
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/los-angeles-fires-dogs-hotels-insurance-evacuees-92bb0893?st=fr3MZY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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