Do you travel with pets, or know someone who does? An animal’s life may depend on you reading this.
If you’ve ever had to trust your beloved pet to an airline cargo hold, this week’s story of the seven puppies who died aboard an American Airlines flight may give you nightmares.
Should you ever need to transport your pet a long distance, for any reason, there are things you need to know — and do.
For a look at what we’ve done on this issue before, click here.
The first thing you need to know is that both the ASPCA and the Humane Society advise against putting your animals in an airline cargo hold EVER.
(Like you need to be told that, right?)
If there’s no way around it, you need to be max-attentive to every single detail. That means checking with your vet beforehand, knowing the airline’s rules and policies for transporting animals, and every aspect of how they handle your pet — and I mean EVERYTHING.
This About.com page has a list of nine important questions for pet owners to ask the airline. Ask all nine, then ask your own. If you don’t like the answers, either switch airlines or change your travel plans.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have info on taking pets by air you may find useful. The FAA, remarkably, has put links to both on a single page.
(Imagine that, the federal government, trying to be helpful. Who would’ve thought?)
There are companies that specialize in pet transport, by land or air. It’s all they do — and they charge accordingly. They’re worth considering if only for the peace of mind, but check them out as thoroughly as you would the airlines — the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Reports, the Humane Society, the works.
Touch base with sites like PetFlight.com to ask about the airline or pet transporter you’re looking at. Ask them about their track record on pet safety.
But no amount of airline or transporter diligence can control the weather, especially in this era of wild climate swings and temperature extremes. Flying your pet during hot or cold weather is a bad idea at any time.
Sometimes there’s no getting around having to ship your pet by air, and it can be done safely. But you need to be absolutely on top of your game — and make sure the folks transporting your pet are on top of theirs.
A life depends on this.