Vacations are just better with your pets in tow, and with so many pet-friendly places to stay, eat and play in Toronto, you can call off the dog sitter for your next visit.

It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a luxurious weekend getaway or an extended vacation for your entire family, there are a wide variety of Toronto businesses ready to accommodate you and your pooch.

Places to Stay

With over 50 pet-friendly hotels, guest houses and other places to stay in Toronto, you can be picky when choosing your vacation accommodations.

The Victorias Mansion Guest House is located in the heart of downtown Toronto within walking distance of the city’s favorite sites, and pets can stay in the guest house’s affordable, unique rooms without any additional pet fee.

And if you’re looking for a more traditional hotel, the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites, Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto and the Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley all offer pet-friendly rooms in downtown Toronto without size restrictions, although pet fees are enforced at most chain hotels.

BringFido.com offers a complete list of the 56 pet-friendly Toronto hotels, so you can choose a place to stay that suits your specific travel needs.

Places to Play

With parks, beaches and even a “pet discovery center” within Toronto’s city limits, your pet will have plenty of space to let loose, and you’ll love the scenic places that cater to your pet-loving lifestyle. Cherry Beach, also known as Clarke Beach, offers nearly 11 acres of beach where your pet is welcome to run wild off-leash. It’s free to visit, but check the sign during the summer busy season for pet-friendly hours.

In the North District of the city, Sherwood Park is the perfect place to take your pooch after you’ve spent the day exploring the city. Sherwood Park features a massive off-leash, fenced-in dog park, so your pup can play with other dogs or run wild on his own.

The PawsWay Pet Discovery Centre offers an entirely new bonding experience for you and your pet. Admission to PawsWay is free, and it’s the perfect place to learn more about your pet, explore pet-friendly exhibits and participate in the centre’s many events and activities.

Places to Eat

Dining with your dog can be one of the most difficult parts of traveling with your pet, but you don’t need to leave your pup in the hotel room when you head out for a meal in Toronto.

The city offers a variety of pet-friendly restaurants from the casual atmospheres of the Williams Coffee Pub, The Charlotte Room and Red Rocket Coffee to fine dining downtown at the Sassafraz Restaurant.

Dog-Friendly Events in the City

If you plan your Toronto vacation just right, you may be able to attend one of the city’s many pet-friendly events. Woofstock — the largest festival for dogs in North America — takes place every spring and features hundreds of vendors catering to dogs and their loving owners.

If you’re up for getting some exercise with your pooch, the Ditch the Dust Dash in June is an exciting race event that sends you on a scavenger hunt through Leslieville with your pup. And the Purina Harbourfront Walk for Dog Guides at the end of May is the largest fundraiser to help Canadians with physical or medical disabilities get access to the dog guides they need. With so many ways for you and your dog to bond in the Queen City, you’ll be so happy you brought your pet along for your Toronto vacation.