Two Pups on Holiday Take Top Honors in AAA PetBook Photo Contest

California dogs vacationing in national parks to grace back cover and spine of next edition

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two pooches from California were selected as top dogs in the latest annual AAA PetBook® Photo Contest sponsored by Best Western, a AAA Preferred Hotel Partner. The four-legged winners will enjoy a year of fame on the 14th edition Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook®, available this May.

Along with cover glory, winners also enjoy a year of star treatment on the AAA.com/PetBook photo gallery. Plus they receive additional contest prizes, including cash, pet treats, copies of the book and a Best Western Travel Card® usable at more than 4,000 hotels worldwide, including more than 1,600 pet-friendly properties. 

The first-place winner, a Tibetan terrier named Lady, GCH Starlight's Lady in Waiting, from Torrance, Calif., will be pictured on the book's back cover on a scenic overlook at beautiful Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. As a show dog Lady is used to being the center of attention, but she doesn't always have the luxury of being able to see the sights. "When we extended our trip last year to go to Crater Lake, Lady had a blast!" said owner Cassandra Basgall. "Our dogs are our family. It's hard to leave home without them."

The second-place winner, Maggie, an American Eskimo/Pomeranian mix from Placentia, Calif., will be featured on the book's spine in a photo taken during a trek through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. "Our dogs are our kids. We try to take them whenever we can," said owner Wendy Gillroy. "Maggie doesn't even mind the long drive as long as we're going to be outdoors."

This year, as a special addition to first- and second-place contest winners, an exceptional photo held over from a previous contest will appear on the front cover of the 14th edition AAA PetBook. Chase, a Shetland sheepdog from Aloha, Ore., will be shown enjoying the open space at Oregon's Cannon Beach. "When Chase isn't on the beach trying to 'herd' the waves, he is in town charming other tourists and trolling for head scratches," says Chase's owner, Curtis H. Smith.

Many Americans view their pets as full-fledged family members. They long to hit the road with their canine or feline companions, but hesitate for fear of not finding accommodations that accept four-legged friends. Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook® provides listings for more than 14,000 pet-friendly AAA Approved accommodations in the U.S. and Canada. These include thousands of Diamond Rated hotels as well as some 600 campgrounds.

The detailed lodging listings include fees, permitted pet sizes and conditions of stay for properties at every Diamond Rating level including -- for pampered pets -- AAA Five Diamond Award® hotels. The book also includes information about pet-friendly activities, planning tips, travel safety.

Photos of winners and runners up, contest rules, entry forms and valuable pet travel tips can be accessed at AAA.com/PetBook. The next photo contest opens in May when copies of the 14th edition Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA PetBook hit the shelves at participating AAA and CAA offices, bn.com and fine bookstores. The cover price is $18.95 U.S.

About AAA
As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members 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 clubs 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 over 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Each Best Western-branded hotel is independently owned and operated. Now celebrating 66 years of hospitality, Best Western has grown into an iconic brand that hosts hundreds of thousands of guests each night. Equally committed to the business and leisure traveler, Best Western has embarked on a mission to lead the hotel industry in customer care. World Vision is the charity of choice for Best Western in building the world's biggest family, with our hotels and staff sponsoring children in need around the globe. Our partnerships with AAA/CAA, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® help guests make the most of every trip. For the fastest way to a free night globally, join Best Western Rewards®.

*Numbers are approximate and can fluctuate.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080226/DC15031LOGO )

SOURCE AAA

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