Have you considered taking your dog — or other pet — on vacation or a weekend getaway with you, but felt you’d be limited in your travel choices? La Mesa travel writer Maggie Espinosa has removed much of the concern over the availability of high-quality tourist options with her newly-published book, “The Privileged Pooch: Luxury Travel with Your Pet in Southern California.” While her book is dog-oriented, pet policies usually apply to other small animals, too. The good news is that many recession-hit hotels, restaurants and boutiques have discovered that pet-friendly policies are attracting new clients who don’t want to leave the furry members of their family at home. With Marcel, her beloved 9-year-old Bichon Frisé in tow, Espinosa spent two years exploring luxurious hotels and fine-dining options, from San Diego north through Orange and Los Angeles counties to Santa Barbara and Ojai, and east to Palm Springs, rating the hotels and resorts from one to four “wags” according to their pet-friendliness and special amenities. Espinosa, an experienced freelance travel writer who lives with her veterinarian husband, Miguel, near her husband’s clinic, The Pet Hospital of La Mesa, decided to focus on the luxury end of the market because she wanted to identify pet-friendly accommodations she herself would enjoy and where she could take Marcel. To meet her criteria, hotels had to be “high-three star” or better and allow the pets in the lobby and some facilities with few restrictions. The accommodations vary in type, from trendy urban boutique hotels to suburban resorts with extensive grounds. Her book contains listings for 69 hotels and resorts, 55 restaurants welcoming pets to their terraces or patios, 56 “fun-in-the-sun” activities and 38 pet-friendly shops. Best of all, Espinosa and Marcel stayed at every hotel, ate at every bistro, tried every activity and visited each trendy boutique before including them in her book. If hotels merely tolerated pets but didn’t welcome them, they didn’t make the grade for inclusion. As she quickly discovered, what a hotel states or posts on its website about its pet policy doesn’t necessarily conform with actual practice, which is why she stayed at every hotel, not merely inspected them or relied on their press releases. She found some hotels have weight or size limitations for dogs, while others have rules but don’t enforce them. Some hotels charge extra pet fees, while others don’t. Espinosa strongly advises calling the hotel and checking their pet policies and charges before making reservations. The intrepid duo also tried every activity described in the book, including Go-Cars, walking tours and naturalist hikes, kayaking and winery tours. Marcel even experienced carriage and gondola rides, canine surf lessons and even an ultra-relaxing “mutt massage” offered at Loew’s Coronado Resort. Espinosa also lists hotel pet-sitters and emergency vet clinics. “I would take Marcel to everything. I wanted to see how the activities were with a dog. I tried to do things that were different, that you would really want to do, not just go to a dog beach or dog park,” she explained. One of her favorite discoveries is the Doggie Bus, a free service started by Corey Brixen to transport, by reservation, about a dozen pooches and their humans from inland Tustin for three-hour weekend romps at Huntington Beach Dog Beach. Espinosa decided to write her book following appearances on the nationally syndicated radio show “Ask Heloise,” featuring the author of the “Hints from Heloise” column, and “Dr. Dog’s” San Diego radio show. She received such an enthusiastic response and so many queries from listeners. From her research she concluded that no current guidebook existed for traveling with pets in the Southern California region.   Written with an observant eye, wry humor and appreciative palate and filled with inviting color photos, “The Privileged Pooch” provides the information hesitant pet-lovers need to embark on travels with their pets, whether canine, feline or avian. Susan McBeth, director of marketing and events for Warwick’s Books in La Jolla, considers the book “a natural for local pet lovers. It’s a good resource to have with you when you’re traveling with your pet in Southern California.” “The Privileged Pooch” is available for $18 at Warwick’s on 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla, at Unleashed by Petco and Amazon.com. For more information, visit Espinosa’s website at www.travelwithmaggie.com.