Hotel Goes To The Dogs

Opening January 16, Hotel for Dogs is the story of two orphaned siblings who must give up their dog to live with their new guardians.  The children decide they can’t give up their dog, and find an abandoned hotel they convert into an efficiently mechanized home-away-from-home for their dog Friday, and the many strays he befriends.

From the Dreamworks trailer it’s easy to see that this is a film with a message to kids about the responsibilities of dog guardianship and is fun to watch. 

Following on the heels of “Marley & Me”,  “Hotel for Dogs” will get my vote for being thoughtful and painlessly instructive.  It drives an ‘adopt from shelters’ message and supports the ASPCA‘s humane education message which underscores “learning to care for [and about] the animals in our homes and in our communities.”  Teaching kindness is always a good thing!

Based on the 1971 children’s book authored by Lois Duncan, it looks like the screen adaptation might be worth a family trip to the movies.