It began last fall with Beverly Hills Chihuahua, followed by the animated Bolt, which led to the Christmas release of Marley & Me and now the current Hotel For Dogs. Meanwhile, the DVD market is also in on the trend, with December’s release of the umpteenth Beethoven installment, Beethoven’s Big Break, and the February DVD release of another Air Bud movie, Space Buddies.

“In this economy, with the lack of job security, the housing market being in trouble and it feeling like a harsh, cold world out there, people turn back to what is essential,” says Hotel For Dogs director Thor Freudenthal. “And that’s having those around you that you love, and having a family that looks out for each other. Dogs are part of so many families – they just belong to that picture. That’s why these films are very appealing.”

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