The AAA PetBook offers thousands of reasons to include furry family members in vacation plans

Release of new edition marks official start of new AAA PetBook Photo Contest

ORLANDO, Fla., (May 6, 2011) – Tails are wagging for the latest edition of Traveling with Your Pet:The AAA PetBook, just released. The annually updated guidebook contains all the information needed to plan a pet-friendly vacation, from hotel and park listings to pet preparations and safety tips. It also features scenic, smile-provoking photos of traveling pets — a reminder to capture the action from this year’s vacation for the next AAA PetBook Photo Contest sponsored by Best Western, now open for entries.

The key to memorable travels with pets is careful planning. “Be sure your pet is healthy enough to travel, you include activities that appeal to the entire family and you choose places to stay and play that offer pets a warm welcome,” said Bill Wood, executive editor, AAA Publishing. “AAA is pleased to provide the millions of traveling pet owners with complete, reliable vacation planning information.”

Whether you are looking for affordable, comfortable hotels near your favorite recreation spots, or luxurious accommodations that extend the royal treatment for both you and your canine companion, you’ll find it in Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook. The book includes more than 13,000 pet-friendly, AAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings in the U.S. and Canada. Listings include fees, permitted pet sizes and conditions of stay for properties across every Diamond Rating level.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the book lists more than 400 AAA Approved pet-friendly campgrounds. Readers will also find useful tips for preparing four-legged travelers for the road or air and handy information about pet etiquette, insurance and emergency animal clinics.

“With more than 1,600 pet-friendly Best Western properties worldwide, we know pets are very much a part of our guests’ families.  As such, we want to welcome pets and their owners to our pet-friendly properties,” said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Best Western.  “We are proud to help travelers get this information through The AAA PetBook, an exceptional resource.”

This vacation, be sure to capture some photos of your pet enjoying safe travel. Each year, entries from the AAA PetBook Photo Contest are selected to appear on the back cover and spine of the next edition of The AAA PetBook. In addition to cover fame, the winners also receive cash, pet treats, copies of the book and a Best Western Travel Card usable worldwide. Entries must be received by Nov. 30, 2011. See inside The AAA PetBook for details, or access official contest rules, an entry form and the contest photo gallery at AAA.com/PetBook.

Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook, 13th edition,is available at all AAA South Dakota full-service Travel offices, online at bn.com, and at fine bookstores. The cover price is $14.95 but the AAA member price at AAA South Dakota offices is $11.95, plus tax.

About AAA
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 52 million members (89,000 in South Dakota) with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA South Dakota can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

About Best Western International, Inc.
Best Western International, Inc. is the world’s biggest hotel family, providing marketing, reservations and operational support to more than 4,000* Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotels in 90* countries and territories worldwide. Each Best Western-branded hotel is independently owned and operated. Now celebrating 65 years of hospitality, Best Western has grown into an iconic brand that hosts 400,000* worldwide guests each night. World Vision is the charity of choice for Best Western in building the world's biggest family, with the firm’s hotels and staff sponsoring children in need around the globe. The motel chain’s partnerships with AAA/CAA, Michael Waltrip Racing and Harley-Davidson give guests added value. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.bestwestern.com.

*Numbers are approximate and can fluctuate.