Pet Travel Tips
Traveling can be upsetting for your pet but with the right guidelines and ample preparations, you can make pet travel stress-free and memorable for you and your much-loved pet.
Pet Travel Tips And Guidelines
The Humane Society of the United States discourages transporting you pet by air unless it is of utmost necessity. The Airline Transportation Association has put the number of pets killed, lost, or injured on commercial flights to 5,000 each year, due to rough handling, poor ventilation, extreme temperatures, and lack of oxygen.
Nonetheless, you wouldn't want to leave your beloved pet behind if you are moving to another state or country. Most airline companies now offer pet friendly travel accommodations. Each may have some differences in restrictions with regards to pet travel but their policies are generally alike. Bring along recent vaccination papers and acquire an authorization from your veterinarian saying your pet is fit to travel.
The following airlines allow air travel with pets: Air France, Alaska Airlines, America West Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Companion Air, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.
The airline companies mentioned offer pet air travel as long as the destination country has regulations permitting such entry. Your pet can travel in three (or two) options: travel as carry-on luggage in the Hospitality Cabin (within North America only), as service animal, and travel in the baggage compartment.
Give your pet a favor and provide him only with a light meal about 2-3 hours prior to the trip (by vehicle) or 5-6 hours when traveling by plane. Pets' stomachs can get upset, too, during travel.
Government regulations in some countries strictly prohibit air travel with pets inside cabin, thus, you pets are only allowed travel via Cargo. Pet travel by cargo by far is not the best air travel for pets according to HSUS since the airline industry generally treats animals such as your pets merely as baggage. You can contact the airline company you wish to travel on for specific details.
These pet travel tips will be helpful for you to look out for the welfare of your pet prior to traveling for a vacation and other matters. If you want your pet to travel with you in nearby or adjacent states, you can consider driving in your car because neither Greyhound nor Amtrak permit pets on board. You might as well leave the pet in a boarding kennel or pet sitter.
When traveling in your car, doing your homework on pet travel tips can make your pet's experience more comfortable – they may even look forward to the next trip if the first one was pleasant.
Foremost, acclimatize with your pet with travel in the car, inside a pet travel carrier, by driving your pet around the neighborhood for short periods preceding the trip. A pet carrier, whether pet travel by air or land, needs to be big enough for the pet to move in normal positions (like standing up, sitting down, or turning about). However, it should not be too large wherein your pet can slide or be tossed about.
Pet Travel Supply
As mentioned, pet travel carriers is one of the most important pet travel supply to have. It is a necessity both on air and on a road trip. The carriers should be durable enough but comfortable for your pet (you can tell when your pet is not comfortable inside it).
In addition, don't forget to bring a plastic container with lid containing ice cubes (are much tolerable for travel than water), leash, food dish, water bowls, medication, etc. Also take care to ensure that your pet wears his pet ID when traveling with you.
It is a 21st century improvement to have pets travel with owners. As airline companies are allowing this kind of travel, you can only hope they will continue and improve this type of accommodation.