Ramstein Inns offers pet lodging

by Airman 1st Class Kenny Holston
Kaiserslautern American


***image1*** The Ramstein Inns Temporary Lodging Facility is now pet friendly. Military personnel with pets, PCSing in and out of Ramstein, will no longer have to spend a lot of money to house their four-legged friends in an off-base kennel.

In August 2001, Timothy Wible, now Ramstein Inns general manager, was working at the lodging facility on Travis Air Force Base, Calif. He came up with the idea of having a portion of their facility designated for families with pets. The idea quickly spread and soon other Air Force bases adopted the idea, making it easier for families with pets during their transition process.

“Families, especially young children, often view putting their pets in a kennel as putting them in jail,” said Mr. Wible. “This got me thinking, and that’s when it hit me, why not have a TLF for families with pets?”
   
***image2***Currently, there are six units ready for families with pets. Lodging management is working hard to prepare an additional 30 units for use, giving everyone with a pet an opportunity to reap the new pet benefits.

Col. Earl Mathews, 435th Air Base Wing commander, gave the approval to use Bldgs. 841 and 844 for the new TLF.

“The location of these buildings is perfect,” said David White, assistant general manager. “They are right across from the dog park, giving our guests easy access to a place where they can take their pets out to stretch their legs.”

Ramstein Inns provides all the basic pet paraphernalia, such as a kennel, food dish, litter box, and even a flea collar during the summer months.

The Pet TLF rules are simple. Pets must be kept in a kennel when nobody is home, and pet owners must keep an eye on their pets to ensure they don’t chew on any of the furniture.

“Our housekeeping folks are key factors in making this operation a success,” said Harvey Polishuk, Ramstein Inns assistant general manager.