Here's some ideas to help make your pet travel easier & safer as well as some travel tips on the area.
1) Visit your Vet and make sure your pets vaccinations are all up to date. Bring a copy of their records.
2) Should your pet have any special needs, make sure you are prepared to take care of them should the need arise. Bryson City has a local Vet but the nearest after hours Emergency Vet is almost an hour away.
3) If traveling a long distance, you might want to test your pets with short trips to make sure they travel well. Medications are available to help calm your pet on a long drive. |
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| 4) I.D. for your pets. Your pets should have current I.D. tags on or be microchipped. Consider a temporary tag with your cell phone number or where you're staying if one location. If your pet becomes lost, someone might be trying to reach you in Nashville while you're in Cherokee. Make it easy for people to locate you. |
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5) Bring your pets bedding (please wash beforehand) and any toys they might want to have along. Carpeting, furniture, and throw rugs are not acceptable chew toys. While many pets sleep in the same bed as their owners (ours included) please consider folks who'll be staying in the cabin after you. They might not be pet people and not used to having pet hair around as a natural occurance. Even our pets sleep on their own beds on the floor when we're at our own cabin. If you think your pet will have a problem getting up on the furniture, please bring a fresh blanket of some sort to cover the furniture. Again, please be considerate of those who will stay there after you.
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| 6) Bring more than enough pet food with you, especially if you feed your pets special food. Pet food available in the Bryson City area may not be the same as what you feed your pets at home. There are a couple WalMarts within about a half hours drive but the nearest PetSmart is at least an hours drive away. There are a couple grocery stores in town that carry the larger national brands such as Purina but no guarantee they'll carry what you normally feed your pets. |
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7) Even in the mountains it can get hot in a parked car. Remember to allow cross ventilation in a parked vehicle if you must have your pet with you when driving around the mountains
8) While Fido may enjoy sticking his head out the window while driving, be aware that sudden stops can cause a lot of damage.
9) Keep your dog on a leash. A dog unfamiliar with mountainous territory can get into trouble offlead if they encounter a sudden dropoff, or an unfriendly animal encounter. Keep in mind you're in the mountains and an encounter with a bear, deer, turkey or other animals your dog may not be familiar with is not unheard off. |
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| 10) When staying at Kathy's Deep Creek Hideaway, please be considerate of our neighbors and cleanup after your pet. We do. Just past our steps is an unmaintained road that winds up the mountain. This makes a great walking path to take your pet for a bit of exercise as well as yourself. Not too steep but steep enough to get the heart pumping and you get a good view from above the cabin. The road is blocked for auto traffic but open to walking/hiking. |
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11) Bring along a photo of your pet. Just in case something happens and they get lost, you'll have something with you to help identify them.
12) Bring your pets water/food bowls with you. Make sure you carry water with you when traveling around the area if you have your pets in tow or are out hiking. The local wildlife can safely drink the water in streams but it's not always a good idea for humans or pets to be drinking the water. |
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| 13) The area around the Nantahala Outdoor Center is a good area to watch the rafters coming down the river and appears to be very pet friendly. We've seen a lot of pets with their owners enjoying the view and entertainment as people go through the falls.. |
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Heidi Weimer Photo |
14) Pets are not allowed on most GSMNP trails. Places in the park where pets are allowed include: roadsides, parking areas, established picnic area, front country campgrounds, and the Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River trails. Pets must be on a leash not to exceed six feet in length when in the areas. *guide, search, and hearing dogs are permitted on all trails. (Information courteous of the Smokies Guide.)
Click on the dog to see more info on pets in the park from the NPS |
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15) Hiking with dogs. Dogs are welcome
to hike the trails at Chimney Rock Park
but are not allowed in the elevator so be
prepared to HIKE and make sure you bring
plenty of water for all of you.
Click on the icon to see more on the park.
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16) Asheville is known to be a very Pet Friendly City. Only about an hours drive from the cabin, there are plenty of pet friendly establishments downtown that cater to pets. There is also the Urban Trail you can walk with your pet.
Some places to check out.
Animal Haven Thrift and Gift Shop
Three Dog Bakery
French Broad River Park has a 1 acre Dog park
Bone-a-Fide Bakery in nearby downtown Black Mountain
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| 17) Dogs are allowed on the more than 100 varied trails throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway. Dogs and other pets must be on a leash or under physical restraint at all times while along the Parkway. For More info click on the image to the right. |
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18) You can take your dog on any of the hiking trails in the Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest. Dogs may not be left unattended, and they must be leashed and cleaned up after. Dogs are not allowed in buildings. |
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| Local Veterinarians |
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Bryson City Veterinary Clinic
(828) 488-6018
200
Bryson Walk, Bryson City, NC 28713
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Sylva Animal Hospital
(828) 586-8587 1307
Asheville Hwy, Sylva, NC 28779 |
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Cherokee Animal Hospital
(828) 497-5508
2348 Us-441, Whittier, NC 28789 |
Cope Creek Animal Clinic
(828) 586-3534
8 Connor Rd, Sylva, NC 28779 |
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Sylva Animal Hospital
(828) 586-8587
1307 Asheville Hwy, Sylva, NC 28779 |
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| Emergency Vets |
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COUNTRY LANE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
9019 Carolina Blvd, Clyde, NC 28721
For After Hours Emergency Care
Established clients please call 828-627-9100
for emergency service.
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Regional Emergency Animal Care Hospital
677 Brevard Rd Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: 828-665-4399
REACH is able to accept emergency cases from 5 pm to 7 am Monday thru Friday. We will continue to be open 24 hours a day Saturday and Sunday as well as on holidays. |
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We hope you enjoy your stay at Kathy's and that you find this page helpful. Don't forget to send along some photos if you do stay at Kathy's with your pet.
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