6 months ago
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Celebrities making demands is a tale as old as tinseltown. Historically they’ve been known to ask for accommodations ranging from the eccentric to the expensive. But to date I haven’t ever heard of a demand of this cuddly variety: Rob DelliBovi, celebrity travel agent and concierge, recently spilled some (blind) tea to Joe Pardavila on the Good Listen podcast. He described a client of his who requires the companionship of a “medium-sized dog” companion for their hotel room when they’re on the road. Call it the canine clause in a tour rider.
A shaggy blind item was dropped on Joe Pardavila’s podcast, “Good Listen,” this week by travel agent and concierge to the stars Rob DelliBovi — who revealed one of the odder celebrity requests he’s gotten has been to fetch a “medium-sized” dog to keep a star company at each of the celeb’s travel destinations.
“We have somebody who, companionship-wise, likes to request a medium-sized dog in all hotel rooms,” DelliBovi said.
“So, when this particular traveler gets to town, they need a dog, and they don’t want to own a dog. They don’t want to travel with a dog… which is, as we know, [a] pain in the neck. They want the companionship of a dog.”
He continued, “So, there was a time when we were sourcing a dog in every city of medium size too, which is what they wanted. So, nothing too big, nothing too small.”
The temporary four-legged best friend would be found at either a local shelter, or by hotel staff who were asked to part with their personal pet for the night.
“We started honestly with the staff at the hotel,” DelliBovi, who runs RDB Hospitality explained. “We’re like, ‘Does anyone have a dog they want to loan this talent for one or two nights?’”
There was one hint in the interview that the alleged pup-loving star is a musician.
“On music tours, they don’t typically stay very long,” DelliBovi said, further explaining the prospective pooch was sometimes needed for quick stops.
“It was just some cities they were only in for three or four hours,” he said. “We were like, ‘Do you need the dogs for three or four hours?’ We have to be super creative.”
If the star was in Minneapolis, say, DelliBovi would call a friend and ask, “Do you know a guy with a medium-sized dog who was willing to give it to someone they don’t know for 24 hours for $500 or something?”
The fur-loving famous person also had to sign paperwork to take in a strange canine.
“We had to create paperwork that the talent had to sign, signing their life away in terms of, liability, right?” he said. “If the dog bites you, kills you, or something like that… it’s not the owner’s fault.”
Other weird asks from stars included an in-room colonic, and switching hotel rooms due to “bad energy.”
I understand the impulse here. I love having My Girl with me, I wouldn’t have it any other way. And it’s sweet that DelliBovi reaches out to shelters, making it like a doggie Queen for a Day. Only it’s a shame the pooches can’t then brag about the experience. How quickly would a pup get adopted if the shelter could boast “Fido was so-and-so’s companion on tour by special request!” At a certain point, though, would it not just be easier to get your own dog? Mr. or Mrs. Star-Celebrity-Artist Ma’am Sir, I think the time has come for you to take the leap and adopt your own dog! You won’t regret it! I mean, that’s a lie. They’ll invariably drive you to exasperation at some/many points. Having a dog is committing to being responsible for a permanent toddler. But then My Girl will give me just the right look and her tail starts wagging… yeah, my heart swells and I’m a goner.
Also, props to the Page Six writers for dropping that “in-room colonic” item as the last line with no further details. I like an ending with a random, unexplained jolt.
photos credit: Cottonbro Studio, Samson Katt, Nataliya Vaitkevich, Elina Volkova, Tugba Kobal Yilmaz and Pixabay on Pexels
