Pets and DVC ...

[jdg345]

I was wondering if there were any details as to 'Pet Policy' with DVC? When I inquired, we were told that pets can be boarded at various kennels through the length of the stay, but pets were not allowed on DVC property.

Considering most hotel chains allow pets, albeit for an increased fee and/or deposit, I looked to see if I could find something official but to no avail.

 

[Pluto 2]

only service dogs are allowed.

 

[DVCconvert]

Only service animals (as defined by ADA) are permitted in Hotel or DVC rooms.
(this is the official position)

 

[disneykidatheart]

Only service animals (as defined by ADA) are permitted in Hotel or DVC rooms.
(this is the official position)

I hope (this is the official position) is not taken with a wink, wink much the same as five in a studio is okay and go ahead and smoke in a non smoking room. I do not hate pets but I do not have one nor do I want one. When I was at OKW in February a man was playing with a dog outside my building and I wondered which unit he was keeping the dog in.

I constantly read about cleanliness issues on these boards and I know it is impossible to clean pet dander completely which can have an adverse effect on those with allergies and other medical problems who visit that room behind them. My husband had undiagnosed respiratory problems for years before he finally got a handle on what made him sick. Now that he is able to control it I don't want to have to deal with pet issues as well.

I feel that if a person doesn't want to board his pet the pet should be left at home.

For the OP of this thread. I am not accusing you of trying to bring your pet. I know you are asking a question for informational purposes. I suspect there are many pets at DVC who are there under the radar especially since there is no daily mousekeeping. Then there is the issue of pet "accidents". I know many people are scrupulous in cleaning up after a pet but many are not. Once dry, unless mousekeeping finds evidence of an accident, the carpeting will not be sufficiently cleaned for the next guest. Makes my skin crawl to think of walking on carpeting that has been baptized by pet.

Sorry to be a grouch to you pet lovers. I feel strongly on this issue.

 

[littlestar]

Disney takes the no pets in the resorts very seriously. I was in the Beach Club gift shop one time and someone had a dog at the resort (not a service animal) and I saw security actively looking for the owner and the dog. There are very nice kennels for people who want to bring their pets on vacation (and they pay for it - not me). I personally would not want to pay higher dues for upkeep from pets being allowed in the DVC resorts. Some people are terrific, responsible, pet owners, but unfortunately, some are not.

Plus, you have the added factor that many children are allergic to pet dander. The pet dander problem is very dangerous for some children and adults. I've seen my nephew when he can't breathe with his asthma (we've almost lost him a few times) and it was terrifying. Pet dander is very dangerous for some people.

 

[JimC]

Disney has four very nice air conditioned kennels on property (adjacent to the theme park entrances). Disney is also a member of the American Boarding Kennel Association.

Just a word of warning there are very strict immunization requirements to board. From the Disney web site: "Prior to boarding, all Guests are required to show records of vaccination (for dogs: Rabies, Parvovirus, D.H.P. and Bordetella; for cats: Rabies, Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitus and Calcivirus)."

 

[mdhkitten]

I just had to reply as I work with animals and therapy/service animals. There are more and more "service" animals popping up these days. It used to be that you typically only saw seeing-eye dogs. Now there are also those for most emotinal issues, dogs that alert owners to oncoming seizures, those for people with CP and MS, people with Downs, and many other situations. This will probably increase the chances of people running into pet dander in some way. I've heard that WDW kennels are nice, but that's mostly because it's the owners who care for their pets, not the kennel itself. I've worked at MANY kennels, all ABKA members, and believe me, the ABKA means nothing more than having your dog registered with the AKC. Puppy mills register their puppies with the AKC as easily as the top show breeder in the world does. The same goes for the ABKA. I've seen nasty kennels with this membership, as long as ones that are nicer than some human hotels. The vaccine list sounds a little intimidating, but those are the vaccines that I've seen any kennel ask for (unless they just don't care.....if they don't then beware!). Basically those vaccines in layman's terms are Dog: Rabies, DHPP (sometimes still known as DHLPP.......this is just one vaccine that's typically given yearly), and kennel cough vaccine (aka bordatella). For cats it's Rabies and FVRCP (also typically given yearly). Thanks for letting me share!

 

[JimC]

Thanks for adding mdhkitten. My warning is just to make sure people realize that those shots are required. My daughter has a guide dog and has traveled overseas (Australia / New Zealand). So her dog has had more shots, blood draws and both domestic and international ID chips. Yet he has not had all of the shots required to board.

 

[CarolMN]

Pets are not allowed at any of the WDW resorts (DVC & non-DVC). The only exception has already been posted - service animals as defined by the ADA.

Best wishes -

 

[jdg345]

I hope (this is the official position) is not taken with a wink, wink much the same as five in a studio is okay and go ahead and smoke in a non smoking room. I do not hate pets but I do not have one nor do I want one. When I was at OKW in February a man was playing with a dog outside my building and I wondered which unit he was keeping the dog in.

Might have been a service animal ... dunno ... I've actually never seen a pet on DVC property which is why I figured I'd ask.

I constantly read about cleanliness issues on these boards and I know it is impossible to clean pet dander completely which can have an adverse effect on those with allergies and other medical problems who visit that room behind them. My husband had undiagnosed respiratory problems for years before he finally got a handle on what made him sick. Now that he is able to control it I don't want to have to deal with pet issues as well.

Sorry to hear about the allergies, but many hotels allow pets. And if Service Dogs are allowed, this is going to be an issue regardless, no?

I feel that if a person doesn't want to board his pet the pet should be left at home.

Some folks, I imagine, don't like to be separated from their pets ... and then, some folks, I imagine, don't have the option of leaving their pet at home unsupervised for a week or two.

For the OP of this thread. I am not accusing you of trying to bring your pet. I know you are asking a question for informational purposes. I suspect there are many pets at DVC who are there under the radar especially since there is no daily mousekeeping. Then there is the issue of pet "accidents". I know many people are scrupulous in cleaning up after a pet but many are not. Once dry, unless mousekeeping finds evidence of an accident, the carpeting will not be sufficiently cleaned for the next guest. Makes my skin crawl to think of walking on carpeting that has been baptized by pet.

Flying under the radar wouldn't work for us ... our pets are quite difficult to miss at over 60 pounds. Just for the record, I believe there are just as many people who aren't very scrupulous in cleaning up after their people-children as there are their pet-children. It seems there are a great deal of complaints about how beat up some of the resorts are -- and if it's not pets, then it must be people. I guess my point is that some children are considerably more destructive than some pets. Would it make your skin crawl any more or any less to know that you were walking on carpet baptized by a child versus a cocker spaniel?

Sorry to be a grouch to you pet lovers. I feel strongly on this issue.

No worries ... and my reply isn't intended to be grouchy either ... Some people aren't pet-people, and some people aren't child-people. Diversity is what makes the world go round.

 

[jdg345]

Disney takes the no pets in the resorts very seriously. I was in the Beach Club gift shop one time and someone had a dog at the resort (not a service animal) and I saw security actively looking for the owner and the dog. There are very nice kennels for people who want to bring their pets on vacation (and they pay for it - not me). I personally would not want to pay higher dues for upkeep from pets being allowed in the DVC resorts. Some people are terrific, responsible, pet owners, but unfortunately, some are not.

Understood ... and I completely understand the concern regarding the dues ... but as I mentioned, there are probably just as many irresponsible pet owners as there are parents. Especially if we bring up the subject of renting. I figure owners will want to take care of the place more than a casual renter.

Besides, they could make it such that if you brought pets along you had to pay a fee of sorts and perhaps even leave a deposit 'just in case'. Many hotels do that today -- in fact, some charge a 'child fee'.

Plus, you have the added factor that many children are allergic to pet dander. The pet dander problem is very dangerous for some children and adults. I've seen my nephew when he can't breathe with his asthma (we've almost lost him a few times) and it was terrifying. Pet dander is very dangerous for some people.

And not all pets produce pet dander, not to mention that it is only one possible cause of allergies. The cleaning products used by mousekeeping, the fragrances used in the bathrooms, etc, could all contribute to a horrible attack. My nephew too has severe asthma and can't be around most anyone's pets ... but strangely, he spends the night here just fine.

Also, what if your room was used by a service animal earlier? Pet Dander, etc, would still be a concern.

 

[jdg345]

Disney has four very nice air conditioned kennels on property (adjacent to the theme park entrances). Disney is also a member of the American Boarding Kennel Association.

Just a word of warning there are very strict immunization requirements to board. From the Disney web site: "Prior to boarding, all Guests are required to show records of vaccination (for dogs: Rabies, Parvovirus, D.H.P. and Bordetella; for cats: Rabies, Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitus and Calcivirus)."

I thought there were five kennels on property? But you are right, they do follow very strict guidelines as far as vacinations for pets boarded inside. However, the outside kennels have less stringent requirements.

There really isn't anything wrong with the kennels ... they are clean, the staff is excellent, etc. It's just that I'm sure some people would like to have their 'fur babies' with them as much as some people would like to have their real children with them.

 

[crisi]

Service animals are relatively rare - the chance your room has been used recently enough by someone with a service animal to trigger an allergy are pretty slim. Pets are not rare.

Service animals are uniformly well trained. Some pets are very well trained, some pets aren't. Some actually cross the line to dangerous. There is no way for Disney to tell when you call if you are a responsible pet owner or one who has a dangerous pet.

To add to Disney's issues, Disney has a very international clientele. Some parts of the world are very pet tolerant. Others think pets in the house are highly inappropriate.

My son appears to have an animal allergy. It isn't the peanut allergy send him to the hospital type allergy. Nor is he asthmatic. But he does get ecezma when exposed to some pets. It isn't terribly comfortable and does keep him out of the pool. And he does get stuffed up. Not life threatening, but vacation impacting. Don't mind going through that for a service animal. Do mind going through that because someone brought in Snowball against the rules.

The deal with DVC is that we bought with certain rules in place. Allowing pets would change the conditions I believe I bought under. Opening up a new DVC resort that allowed pets would be a possibility - though I wouldn't use it.

Yes, some kids make a mess and aren't well trained either. But they are human beings. Pets, last I checked, were not.

 

[jdg345]

Thanks for adding mdhkitten. My warning is just to make sure people realize that those shots are required. My daughter has a guide dog and has traveled overseas (Australia / New Zealand). So her dog has had more shots, blood draws and both domestic and international ID chips. Yet he has not had all of the shots required to board.

Most of the time, Bordatella won't be given by your vet as it is only required for boarding or in cases where your pet will be around many other pets (show circuit, etc) ... I would imagine though that her dog woudl have all the other vaccinations?

 

[mdhkitten]

And not all pets produce pet dander, not to mention that it is only one possible cause of allergies. The cleaning products used by mousekeeping, the fragrances used in the bathrooms, etc, could all contribute to a horrible attack. My nephew too has severe asthma and can't be around most anyone's pets ... but strangely, he spends the night here just fine.

Also, what if your room was used by a service animal earlier? Pet Dander, etc, would still be a concern.

As far as dogs and cats are concerned, I've never heard of a breed who is completely dander free, although there are those who definitely produce less dander than others. I've worked for vets for 12+ years, and also housesit for several show dog breeders. Here's an article concerning this:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-dog-breeds-for-people-with-allergies/page1.aspx

I'm glad that you posted, because like you said, there are lots of service animals who potentially have been in any room, so those suffering with allergies are possibly going to be exposed no matter where they stay.

 

[Dean]

If I recall the wording correctly, the POS says no pets ON PROPERTY, other than service animals. As I under the ADA guidelines, a service animal would have to perform a service for someone with a disability. Companionship, no matter the reason behind it, would not qualify.

The only other exception I'm aware of is HH where they allow those who dock their boats to walk their pets. I think they restrict them to outside the road or at least try to though I don't know if it's a written policy and don't think it's enforced as well as it might be.

 

[jdg345]

Service animals are relatively rare - the chance your room has been used recently enough by someone with a service animal to trigger an allergy are pretty slim. Pets are not rare.

As someone else posted, service animals are becoming more and more common. Plus, for the most part, I understand that the kennels are rarely at capacity and they're not very large. I can't imagine that the chances of triggering an allergy would be that much higher.

Service animals are uniformly well trained. Some pets are very well trained, some pets aren't. Some actually cross the line to dangerous. There is no way for Disney to tell when you call if you are a responsible pet owner or one who has a dangerous pet.

Depending on what the service animal is geared towards, it may or may not be that well trained. For example, seeing eye dogs or helper dogs who are 'forced' to use their skills daily will retain their training. Other service animals who don't "work" every day will eventually lose some of that training and skill while retaining their 'Service Animal' title. There is no required recertification, etc.

To add to Disney's issues, Disney has a very international clientele. Some parts of the world are very pet tolerant. Others think pets in the house are highly inappropriate.

The same can be said for clientele who don't like the decor, or children, etc. I've been all over the globe and I've had to be tolerant of other people's cultures -- after all, I am in *their* country.

Yes, some kids make a mess and aren't well trained either. But they are human beings.

But why is everyone forced to pay the same dues? What if we don't have kids at all ... or if we have very well-behaved kids? Shouldn't someone who's kids are destructive pay the higher dues and those without children pay less? Or is Disney all about the LCD?

 

[ralphd]

I was wondering if there were any details as to 'Pet Policy' with DVC? When I inquired, we were told that pets can be boarded at various kennels through the length of the stay, but pets were not allowed on DVC property.

Considering most hotel chains allow pets, albeit for an increased fee and/or deposit, I looked to see if I could find something official but to no avail.

Most hotel chains do not allow pets in their guest rooms. I know of very few in the WDW area that will allow pets in the guest rooms.

 

[jdg345]

As far as dogs and cats are concerned, I've never heard of a breed who is completely dander free, although there are those who definitely produce less dander than others. I've worked for vets for 12+ years, and also housesit for several show dog breeders. Here's an article concerning this:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-dog-breeds-for-people-with-allergies/page1.aspx

I'm glad that you posted, because like you said, there are lots of service animals who potentially have been in any room, so those suffering with allergies are possibly going to be exposed no matter where they stay.

That's a great article. Someone we know has terrible allergies and they have both a soft-coated wheaton and a poodle for just that reason.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[mdhkitten]

That's a great article. Someone we know has terrible allergies and they have both a soft-coated wheaton and a poodle for just that reason.

Thanks for sharing!

Actually, I had a friend with SEVERE pet allergies, and he had a Himalayan cat and used a specific dander shampoo on his cat weekly and never had a problem living with him as long as he kept him bathed regularly in that product.