Military family members on leisure travel or families transferring to or from McChord no longer have to worry about making additional arrangement for their pets.

McChord's Evergreen Inn recently renovated two rooms in an effort to better accommodate military families traveling with cats or dogs.

The rooms are fitted with luxury vinyl tile flooring throughout, and each feature a cat and a dog kennel, food and water bowls and a scratching post.

Previously, if guests had pets lodging staff members provided them with a list of local off base kennels to house their animals while they were staying at McChord, said lodging general manager Johnnie Bennett.

"We decided it was time for us to have a pet-friendly program," Bennett said. "Now owners can stay with their pets their entire stay here."

The one and two bedroom rooms also feature a recreation and "relief area" just outside the front door. While the pet-friendly rooms do cost $10 per night more than a regular room, it gives families a safe and convenient alternative to taking their pet to an unfamiliar kennel or trying to make other arrangements.

"We know that not all pets do well in kennel facilities," said Judi Koveleskie, lodging quality assurance evaluator. "Some are older and may have some separation anxiety."