Travel
Dogs Check In
Pet hotel curtails the stress of leaving your loved ones behind
by Ulara Nakagawa

Confession: During my last trip home to Canada for the holidays, I spent more time with the family dog Scamper, than with either one of my parents. Scamper, a chubby spaniel cross, and I, had slumber parties. He would go wild for hours stomping all over my sheets and simply staring at my face until finally settling down with his head resting on my chest. Now, when I call home using Skype, I cannot talk too loud or as I’m told, Scamper begins running around the house looking for me then waits at the front door, often with a tennis ball or rawhide bone in his mouth.

My love for Scamper is indistinguishable from that I feel towards my family and close friends. And if I had to leave him in a place anywhere other than the comfort of my parents’ home, I would be riddled with anxiety and guilt. The image of dear Scamper in a cage in some cold kennel, or even having to be quarantined in a strange pen for entry into a foreign country…horrific. With pets, we don’t have the luxury of being able to tell them it’ll all be OK and that is what makes leaving them behind so hard.

So for dog owners here in Tokyo, whether it is a daytrip to the countryside or a longer trip overseas for business or pleasure, what do you do with your Scamper? In Japan, pets are beginning to be kept as family members rather than outside entities—guard dogs chained to a tree in the yard. Recently, for various reasons, people have been keeping their pets indoors, particularly in the city.

Hinataya is a pet hotel business that has responded to the trend by offering such dog owners a modern boarding service. Since opening its first store five years ago, Hinataya has grown to three hotels in Tokyo. Its popularity may be thanks to its core concept; that Hinataya likes to think itself a “hotel” rather than simply a boarding house or kennel. Says owner Akito Higashimura, “Anyone can keep something. If you own a car lot, all you essentially need is space to run your business successfully. We however, are not in the keeping business. Being responsible for someone’s car, or apple for that matter, is not at all like being responsible for their dog. We are in the business of taking care rather than keeping, and taking care is a highly subjective and intuitive matter.”

Hintataya’s taking care of guests and their owners involves, first and foremost, doing everything possible to ensure the least amount of stress and highest amount of comfort and peace of mind for both parties. ‘Guests’ spend the most part of their days in a free living space, not unlike the laid-back living rooms of homes I have seen in suburban Canada. During my visit, there were about ten guests, a variety of breeds spanning a lively golden retriever, a miniature dachshund, even a little cross terrier wearing a diaper. Some of the dogs are kept in smaller enclosures within the space, created with barricades. This I am told is to create comfortable living spaces for dogs that may need a break from the others, an example of the “taking care” that Higashimura speaks of, “We are not dog trainers. We are not here to try and change your dog’s behavior. Rather, our ultimate goal is to observe, then change the settings and ways of care to best accommodate each guest’s comfort during their stay with us.”

When asked what it is about the hotel that brings guests and their owners back, I am told that it too is a subtle thing. Says Higashimura and his staff, “anyone can say ‘don’t worry, your will dog be fine’, but with this kind of hotel it is not the customer who stays and experiences it firsthand to be able to form the final opinion. Some of our customers live nearby our stores and when they walk past with their dogs, they are surprised that their pets will pull in our direction, wanting to come inside. These are our real indications of customer satisfaction.”

During my visit, I also notice a small device attached to the wall of the hotel and am told that it is a webcam so owners can have additional peace of mind in seeing their pets online (on the company website) and how they are acting in the communal space. Other services include a pet pick-up and drop-off service, a grooming option, and correspondence with staff for updates.

I ask before leaving Hinataya, is there one thing you can say to travel bound dog owners to reassure them that all will be fine? Higashimura says, “We take care, and that is all we can say. The rest comes from yours and your pet’s experience. We can offer our word, but really, the proof is in the pudding.” Or perhaps more aptly in this case, it’s in the kibble.

For more information on Hinataya Pet Hotel (and to see some very cute pictures) see www.hinataya.com or call Sachi Yamada 03-3429-0601.