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CNN Live Saturday

A Hotel Caters to Pampered Pets

Aired August 04, 2001 - 13:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We take you to Germany, and a hotel for pampered pets. And they tell us, please don't call it a kennel. CNN's Bettina Luscher reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETTINA LUSCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Germans, it may be a matter of guilt, what to do with their puppy when they go on vacation and don't want the poach to hit the beach with them. The answer? Drop off their pet at the Pfotchenhotel, the Little Paw Hotel.

"I have visited a lot of kennels," says the proud owner of this establishment, "and I thought we would have to structure this place more like a hotel. The animals must be entertained, and that's what we're doing here."

Oh, boy! Forget structure. Think Club Med with a fur. No divers, but what a place to go diving. Even trainers to run with dogs through an obstacle course. So much fun that any dog might even forgive their owner for dropping them off at the paw hotel.

Owners can even check on the Internet how their pet is doing.

"Our clients are people from all social levels," says the class- conscious hotel owner, "it's not just VIPs who bring their pets here. Those who love their animal are not afraid of the cost."

So how much to park your pet in this posh place? Between $20 and $44 per day, depending on whether you can stand the smell of a roommate or require a room of your own. And rooms they are. Forget cages or, dog heaven forbid, horrible things like being put behind bars. No, no, this is pet paradise.

For their owners, a guilt-free holiday of a lifetime.

Bettina Luscher, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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