COOS BAY — He can’t read road maps. He never pays for gas.   

But if the Conner family plans a road trip, it’s a safe bet he’ll be the first in their car or RV.

“We bring him every place with us,” said Marianne Conner, 70. “We would never leave that dog with anyone. He’s our baby.”

Conner, along with her husband, David, and their 3-year-old rat terrier Shadow, stopped at the Red Lion Hotel on Monday afternoon for a two-day stay in Coos Bay. Here to visit her granddaughter, Conner said she chose the pet-friendly hotel so Shadow wouldn’t have to sleep in the car.

Not that it’s been difficult to find lodging fit for them and the dog.

“You can’t believe all the pet-friendly places, now. It’s getting to be a big, big thing,” the Cherry Valley, Calif., resident said.

Pet rooms are a growing trend in the United States, said Marie Dodds, the director of government & public affairs for AAA Oregon/Idaho. There are more than 10,000 hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and other forms of lodging that host pets and their people.

“That number grows by leaps and bounds every year,” Dodds said. “I think it shows that people really value their pets.”

In Coos Bay, 74 of the Red Lion’s 145 rooms are pet-friendly. Every room on the first floor of the hotel allows pets, said General Manager Joseph Monahan. And The Mill Casino-Hotel in North Bend will be adding five pet-friendly rooms to the bottom floor of the lodge next month. Other motels in the area, including the Best Western Holiday Motel, The Edgewater Inn and Motel 6 in Coos Bay all welcome pets, as well as the Comfort Inn in North Bend.

Monahan said the Coos Bay Red Lion has invited pet owners to bring their pals for at least 20 years.

“We had a family in that had their gerbils last week. I didn’t charge for the gerbils,” Monahan said, adding he hasn’t heard of any truly unusual pets at his hotel. “I haven’t seen someone show up with a tiger or a lion. You never know, though, what people will do.”

On Saturday, 15 people stayed at the Red Lion with their pets, and a total of 170 people and pets on the go checked in during June. This number has held fairly steady from year-to-year, the general manager said.

Guests who bring animals are asked to pay a $10 charge. The charge goes toward the extra time spent clearing rooms of hair, strange smells and any messes. All the linen is stripped and washed after a guest with a pet has checked out, the carpet is vacuumed several times, and other preparations are made to ensure the next visitor won’t know who stayed before him.

The hotel also offers a grassy area for furry guests to do their business and stations with curb bags for owners to clean up after them. Monahan said the hotel chain is considering changing its policy to do more for pets, including offering gift bags with water dishes and treats.

Even with the extra work, Monahan said it’s worth the effort. And he knows what it’s like to be on the road with a pet — he used to travel with his German shepherd.

“It was tough finding a hotel that would take her,” Monahan said. “It makes it easier to know that when you are traveling you know you can stay (where) pets are allowed.”

Captain John’s Motel in Charleston also takes pets — but only if their owners can keep them under control, said manager Jan Lin.

“I don’t think a snake is good,” Lin said. “If they go out, that might scare people.”  

Captain John’s features eight pet rooms out of the motel’s 44, but does not charge for the service. Rooms that allow pets are smaller and do not have kitchens.

“We charge the same rate because the other rooms are nicer,” she said.

Peter Taylor, the director of marketing for Massachusetts-based Petsonthego.com, said it’s relatively easy these days to find a hotel or motel that accepts pets. One added advantage for the Bay Area, he noted, is people can include their animals in outdoors activities they wouldn’t find in New York City or Los Angeles. Petsonthego.com is a free guide of pet-friendly inns, hotels, resorts and private rentals.

“It makes it easier for area hotels to offer that as an amenity,” Taylor said.

In fact, some hotels offer conveniences to draw dog-lovers specifically, such as dog beds, water dishes and treats, as well as pet concierges who can suggest the best pet spas, hiking trails and other things to do in the area.

Of course all this comes with a charge. It just depends on the kind of trip you’d like to have with your gerbil, cat or rat terrier.

For the Conners and their terrier, Shadow, the $10 fee is no big deal.  

“That’s OK. He’s worth every penny,” Conner said.