Yes, You Can Bring Yor Pet on Your Next Travel Contract!
For many traveling physical therapists, home isn’t just a place—it’s wherever your furry companion is waiting. Whether it’s a wagging tail greeting you after a long shift or a purring cat keeping you company in a temporary apartment, pets have a way of turning short-term assignments into something that feels more permanent. If you’re a travel PT considering taking your four-legged friend along, you’re not alone. Many therapists travel with a pet and love every minute of the journey.
Finding Pet-Friendly Housing
One of the biggest questions for traveling PTs with pets is figuring out where you’ll live. Luckily, pet-friendly housing has become increasingly accessible. Many travel therapists opt for furnished rentals through platforms like Furnished Finder or Airbnb, which allow you to filter specifically for properties that welcome pets. Extended-stay hotels are another option, often catering to traveling professionals and providing accommodations for an added fee. For those seeking even more flexibility, RV or camper living can be a perfect solution, especially for adventurous dogs or cats who enjoy exploring the outdoors. Working with your recruiter or a housing specialist can also make a difference, as they often have insider knowledge or partnerships with landlords who are accustomed to hosting pets. Some travel PTs even create a “pet resume,” a short document with their pet’s name, breed, age, training experience, and a photo—an approach that can help convince landlords to approve your stay.
How ESAs Make Traveling with Pets Easier
For travel physical therapists, registering your pet as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) can make finding housing on assignment significantly easier by allowing your companion to live with you in places that normally don’t allow pets. The process starts with an open conversation with a licensed mental health professional—such as a therapist, counselor, or psychiatrist—about how traveling impacts your emotional well-being and how your pet supports you. If they believe an ESA would be beneficial, they can provide an ESA housing letter that includes your name, confirmation of a mental health condition, a recommendation for an ESA, your pet’s species, and their license information and signature. There’s no national registry required—this letter is all you need for housing. You can request it from a provider you already see or use reputable online platforms that connect you with licensed professionals familiar with the ESA process. For more information on this process, check out our blog
Travel Healthcare With Pets: How to Register an ESA.
Being a travel PT doesn’t mean leaving your pet behind—it means sharing life’s experiences with them. From dog-friendly beaches in California to scenic mountain trails in Colorado or cozy cafés in New England that welcome a lap cat, you’ll experience new places in ways that go beyond sightseeing. Many travel PTs say their pets make every assignment feel like home. It may take extra planning, but the payoff is priceless: companionship, comfort, and the joy of exploring new places together. Traveling with a pet doesn’t limit your freedom—it enriches it, turning each assignment into a shared adventure.
