ORRVILLE, Ohio, June 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no surprise that summer is the most popular time for families to take a trip with their dog. A recent survey from Nature's Recipe®¹ found that although two-thirds of pet parents nationwide wish they could take their dog on every trip, nearly half avoid traveling with their dog due to inconvenience. To help alleviate worry and prevent guilt about leaving Fido behind, Nature's Recipe is providing resources for pet parents to "fuel their dog's wag" away from home, all summer long.

With pet parents naming lodging as their biggest barrier to traveling with their pup,² Nature's Recipe is partnering with select Residence Inn® by Marriott® locations³ in pet-friendly cities across the country to make pet travel easier this summer. Hotel guests and their pets who stay at participating Residence Inn® by Marriott® locations will receive a full "VI-Pup" premium experience, complete with welcome bags full of dog food and travel essentials at check-in and ideas for local pet-friendly activities to help "fuel the wag" all summer long.

Nature's Recipe also enlisted travel expert and author of AdventureGirl.com, Stefanie Michaels who suggests the following to keep tails wagging during summer travel:

• Choose Your Adventure: Select the destination and activities based on your dog's personality.
• Find Pet-Friendly Lodging: There are a lot of dog-friendly hotels around the country but many have a specific amount of rooms allocated for pets, so make sure to book ahead of time.
• Pet Food On-the-Go: Instead of packing pet food ahead of time, lighten the load by purchasing dog food at the final destination. Now that Nature's Recipe pet food is available in major retailers nationwide, it's easier than ever to stock up on food on the go.
• Pack for Your Pup: Be sure to bring plenty of toys, food, and for some pet owners, clothes and accessories.
• Keep Fido Entertained: Find pet-friendly events, parks, and even outdoor restaurants, so dogs can investigate and enjoy their vacation, too.

"I've traveled to hundreds of places and many of my favorite trips included my four-legged family members," says Stefanie Michaels, travel expert and parent to eight dogs and cats. "Bringing your pets on trips can be a great bonding experience and with the help of Nature's Recipe tips and resources, I hope more pet parents will bring their dogs along on their adventures to live a big life together this summer."

Nature's Recipe has a 35 year history of offering quality pet food at an affordable price. Now, the premium pet food maker is available at mass retail locations nationwide.

For more tips to #FuelTheWag this summer, visit fuelthewag.com/travel.

About The J.M. Smucker Company
For 120 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that bring families together to share memorable meals and moments. Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of consumer food and beverage products and pet food and pet snacks in North America. In consumer foods and beverages, its brands include Smucker's^®, Folgers^®, Jif^®, Dunkin' Donuts^®, Crisco^®, Pillsbury^®, R.W. Knudsen Family^®, Hungry Jack^®, Café Bustelo^®, Martha White^®, truRoots^®, Sahale Snacks^®, Robin Hood^®, and Bick's^®. In pet food and pet snacks, its brands include Meow Mix^®, Milk-Bone^®, Kibbles 'n Bits^®, Natural Balance^®, and 9Lives^®. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth, and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more information about the Company, visit jmsmucker.com.

The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for the following, which are used under license: Pillsbury^® is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC and Dunkin' Donuts^® is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder LLC.  

Dunkin' Donuts^® brand is licensed to The J.M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.  This information does not pertain to Dunkin' Donuts^® coffee or other products for sale in Dunkin' Donuts^® restaurants.

Residence Inn by Marriott
Residence Inn by Marriott is the global leader in the extended-stay lodging segment, with more than 700 properties located in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Central America.  Designed for long stays, the brand offers spacious suites with separate living, working, and sleeping zones.  Fully functional kitchens; grocery delivery service; 24-hour markets and complimentary breakfasts help guests maximize their time and thrive while they travel.  The RI Mix™ evening events afford guests the opportunity to socialize and connect with the local community.  Each Residence Inn offers free Wi-Fi in both public and guests spaces to ensure continuous connectivity while on the road.   As a member of the Marriott International portfolio, Residence Inn participates in the award-winning Marriott Rewards® frequent guest program.  Members earn their choice of points toward free vacations or frequent flyer mileage for dollars spent at any of the more than 4,000 Marriott hotels worldwide.   For more information or reservations, call the Residence Inn toll-free number at 800-331-3131 or visit residenceinn.marriott.com.  For travel tips, the latest on the brand or to connect with other travelers, "like" Residence Inn on Facebook: www.facebook.com/residenceinn and follow Residence Inn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/residenceinn or Instagram www.instagram.com/residenceinn.

¹ Based on an online survey conducted by SSI on behalf of Nature's Recipe of 1,000 dog owners. The survey was fielded from May 4-8, 2017 with a margin of error of +/-3.1%.

² Based on an online survey conducted by SSI on behalf of Nature's Recipe of 1,000 dog owners. The survey was fielded from May 4-8, 2017 with a margin of error of +/-3.1%.

³ Select Residence Inn by Marriott locations include: Residence Inn New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center Area, Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop, Residence Inn Denver City Center, Residence Inn San Francisco Airport/Oyster Point Waterfront and Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Pearl District

SOURCE Nature’s Recipe

Related Links

https://www.naturesrecipe.com/