Pet-Friendly Mendocino Lodging

Pets Welcome! This phrase means a great deal: All significant family members can share the experience of the Stanford Inn. We have always traveled with our dogs, Ellie and Parker, and welcome your friends here.

Over the years we have had a variety of non-human visitors: dogs and cats, of course, but also iguanas, parrots, Vietnamese pot belly pigs, and a tortoise.

Pets stay for a modest charge. If yours is a dog, you’ll find a welcoming handmade treat specially created to not disturb your dog’s digestion, stainless steel food and water dishes, “dog sheets” to protect the furniture so that your friend can join you on couches and the bed, and Intelligent Products pick-up bags and more.

We have been accepting pets for more than 46 years; we were among the first Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers in California to welcome pets. It is a decision we have never regretted.

In recent years, many hotel and inn owners have opened their properties to pets, recognizing that pet owners represent 63% of all households. As a marketing program these hotels offer pets specialized menus, fluffy beds, toys and treats. Some of these “amenities” can be hazardous to your pet’s health – especially unusual food and treats and bedding that hasn’t been sanitized. We are very careful to provide amenities that ensure your pet will return from vacation healthy and refreshed as we hope you feel.

2021 DogTrekker feature article …

“Fresh sea breezes. Fido-friendly paddling, pedaling and hiking. Local wine and produce plated hours after harvest. Simple suggestions for living well. Enjoy highlights like these at dog-passionate Stanford Inn by the Sea, a historic farm and eco-resort on the Mendocino coast. Tucked between old-growth trees and USDA-certified organic gardens, this dog-friendly destination weaves wellness, relaxation and only-in-California recreation into each stay.”

Pets: A Few Basic Rules and Notes of Importance

Please review our basic “rules” designed to assure a comfortable stay for your pet.

  • Please do not leave your pet unattended in your room. Over the years, we have learned that the happiest pets are those with their owners. Dogs left alone often become upset, aggressive, noisy even when in a crate.  We have made most of our facilities pet-friendly with the exception of the pool where too many dogs have jumped in.
  • You may leave your pet in your car on cool days with windows lowered. Here, most of the East Parking Lot is heavily shaded. The Coast’s weather is generally cool and with windows left open, no harm should come to your pet friend if you leave him in your car. But remember if the sun hits your vehicle, it can heat quickly endangering your pet.
  • Guests must pick up after their dogs and we provide stations with bags and trash receptacles throughout the property. Please be sure your male dogs do not urinate in the produce gardens.
  • By the way, well behaved dogs are welcome in our lobby but not our dining room. If you would like breakfast or dinner to be served in the lobby, we are happy to accommodate you.
  • Good etiquette assures that all guests will have an enjoyable stay. If you need anything special from veterinary services to pet sitters, and special foods, just ask and we will happily accommodate.
  • Cats are not great travelers, however some are accustomed to traveling and are very comfortable in their carriers. Two guests brings two Mexican hairless cats in wheeled carriers who accompany them and their white German shepherd.
  • Please remember to keep your pets on a leash.
  • All our domestic animals have little choice about where they are and how we treat them. We know this and, here, animals come first. We care about their health and well being and there are some who are older and infirm and checked daily.
  • When you are exploring the Inn and its ten acres, you’ll find our horses, Scooter, a bay. and Storm. a pinto; two miniature donkeys, Heidi and Noel; and three llamas, Can Do, Can Too, and Can So. The Inn is also home to many cats, raccoons, ducks, deer, opossums, Stellar Jays, Ravens, skunks, and a variety of song birds.
  • You might find a seagull, pigeon or other animal being rehabilitated.
  • For your pets, we supply bowls for food and water, litter bags, a treat, covers to protect furniture and bedding.
  • There is a $45.00 charge per stay, for the first pet. Additional pets are $22.50.
  • Please Note: We avoid treats that will disturb your pet’s digestion and do not offer a “special menu” for dogs. Special menus mean a dietary change which can result in gastric upset. We make our dog treats using only organic sweet potatoes which have been well received by our pet visitors, literally and figuratively. We can provide steamed vegetables if your dog is on a special diet. If your pet has a favorite bed or blanket please remember to bring that with you. Pets are more comfortable with their own beds and their customary diets.

“The Stanford Inn tops list of Best Dog-Friendly Vacations.”
– Sunset Magazine