Vacation and Adopt a Pet!

Ally

Imagine going on vacation to a lovely hotel and discovering that the dogs who are behind the desk are available for adoption! That's exactly what happens if you walk into the Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, North Carolina. Reportedly a lovely area with a noted arts community, you would think that that would be enough but to be met by a pair of soft, bright canine eyes, well, that's a bonus most of us couldn't resist.

McKibbon Hotel Group, an award-winning hotel management group, has partnered with Charlie's Angels Animal Rescue (CAAR), to try to effect more dog adoptions in the community. It's an inspired idea. Dogs add so much warmth wherever they go, and it's proven that our blood pressure lowers while we're petting a dog or cat. In fact, it's been proven more recently that dogs and cats' blood pressure is also lowered when they are being petted. This is great socialization for the dogs, getting them out of the shelter and meeting people in a normal setting. And it's just possible that a dog will find his forever home month the visitors.

Bubbles Shows off his Adopt Me vest

"The close partnership that we created with Charlie's Angels is a perfect example of our commitment to community and family," said John McKibbon, Chairman of McKibbon Hotel Group. "Our guest response has been overwhelmingly positive, generating numerous successful adoptions and uniting families with a new best friend. We are looking forward to expanding this initiative and teaming up with local pet shelters at all of our new lifestyle hotels being developed throughout the country."

McKibbon Hotel Group's contemporary dog-friendly lifestyle hotel, Aloft Asheville Downtown, collaborated with CAAR as their quarterly community service project. The goal is to help find permanent homes for several CAAR dogs, rescuing pets from possible euthanasia at area shelters. As guests arrive at the Aloft Asheville Downtown, a dog will welcome them from behind the registration desk dressed in an "Adopt Me" vets. Guests can interact with the dog during check-in as well as at the hotel lounge and additional designated areas.

Annabelle

Since the program launched in August 2014, over 20 dogs have found permanent and loving homes. "We hope to save over 100 dogs in 2015 with our partnership with the McKibbon Hotel Group, " said Kim Smith, president of CAAR. "The dogs are set in a natural environment which gives guests one-on-one interaction versus a rescue facility where only 1 out of 10 dogs have a chance of being adopted. A single dog receives much more exposure while increasing their chances."

The Hotels are beautiful and certainly made much more welcoming by the presence of the dogs.

Who could possibly resist that happy face?

With the success of the program currently underway, additional McKibbon Hotel Group properties have taken action to support local pet shelters in the community. Aloft Greenville Downtown has chosen to partner with local rescue and rehabilitation facility, Pet Tender Angels (PTA), Aloft Tallahassee will partner with Last Hope, and Homewood Suites Tampa Westshore will partner with Paws of Hillsborough County, Inc. (PAWS)

Pepe

"Our partnership with Charlie's Angels Animal Rescue is and example of our commitment to community and family," said John McKibbon, Chairman of McKibbon Hotel Group. Our guests' responses have been overwhelmingly positive, generating almost one adoption per week and uniting families with new best friends. We plan to expand our pet adoption program to our other lifestyle hotels."

It's hard to imagine anything more enjoyable than going to a wonderful hotel, being greeted by a canine behind the desk and, perhaps, bringing him home with you - a wonderful new family member to add to life's joys. That would certainly be a vacation to remember.

You can learn more about The McKibbon Hotel Group by going here: http://www.mckibbon.com

Aloft Asheville Downtown: http://www.aloftashevilledowntown.com

Charlie's Angels Animal Rescue (CAAR): http://www.wncanimalrescue.org

Maxx

Aloft Ashville Dog Playpen

Gremlin helping guests check in

Jackson is all set for chillier weather

You may want to start planning your next vacation now. If this isn't inspiration, I don't know what is!