Traveling with Pets

Air Travel with Pets

Make airline arrangements for your pet at the same time you are making your own reservations. Airlines can reserve the right to refuse travel if there are too many pets onboard a flight, so make sure you advise them early.

Rabies vaccinations certificates are needed for all travel abroad and for returning to the United States. Your vet will be able to advise you on the complete range of vaccinations required and, of course, check with the airline as each airline has its own policy concerning traveling with pets.

Familiarize your pet with the kennel prior to the trip so that it is comfortable to him/her at travel time.

Locate the Emergency Veterinary Clinics in the area of your destination.

Make sure that you have identification tags for both your pet and its travel kennel that includes your pet's name, home address and phone number along with the address and phone number of your destination, are essential.

Take your pet on a short walk just before arriving at the airport. Once inside the airport, keep your pet securely in the kennel at all times. The noise and activity may frighten even the calmest animal and cause them to bolt or become unexpectedly aggressive.

Never use a muzzle on your pet during travel.

Do not put a water dish in the kennel during the flight. You may end up with a very wet and cold pet when you reach the next airport.

Never sedate your pet on a flight. High altitudes and sedatives are a dangerous combination.

If your pet will be traveling in the passenger cabin with you, the animal must be presented to the security checkpoint screeners. You may walk your animal through the metal detector or, if that is not possible, your animal will have to undergo a visual and physical inspection.

Your animal will NEVER be placed through an X-ray machine. However, you may be asked to remove your animal from its carrier so that the carrier can go through the X-Ray machine.

Whether your pet will travel with you in the cabin or as checked luggage in the cargo area, he/she will need to be contained for the entire trip. Pet supply stores carry soft-sided kennels for in-cabin travel and hard-sided kennels approved for travel as air cargo.

In selecting a kennel, be sure to purchase the proper size for your pet. It is important that your pet can stand, sit, turn around, and lie down comfortably throughout the flight.

• To choose the correct size determine the following:
• Length: from nose to root of tail
• Width: length across shoulders
• Height: from ground to top of head when standing with head held erect

For complete list of traveling by air with your pet go to the
Federal Aviation Administration’s official site.

Traveling with Pet on Land

If your trip will include a hotel stay, check directly with the hotel you have reservations with for restriction and or special fees. If you are just in the planning stages, petswelcome.com is a good source of hotels that accept pets.

Small pets in carrier are usually acceptable by bus and train. Avoid crowded conditions, such as rush hour, as the crowds may make your pet nervous and the travel experience unnecessarily stressful for them.

Travel with a loose pet in a car can be dangerous to your pet. They can jump out an open door before you can grab them and without proper restraint, an accident or a sudden stop can also send your pet flying through the vehicle or out a window. Special pet harnesses for dogs act like seatbelts to help protect them in such an event and a hard-sided cat-carrier can be used to transport your cat safely if the carrier is secured to the back seat with a seatbelt.

Consider speaking with your vet about tranquilizers if your pet does not travel well. Or, if your pet gets car sick, travel-sickness pills may be a possible solution. Your vet will be able to recommend what is best for your pet.

If you can, leave a window opened slightly to circulate fresh air through the vehicle. And NEVER leave animals unattended in the car for even a short time in warm climates or during the warm weather. Heatstroke can happen very quickly and often dire results.