Pet transportation is an invaluable service for those who are in the process of moving to a different region or who simply need someone to oversee the safe shipment of their pet to a vacation getaway. Unfortunately, airlines are beating up their security more and more. They are now asking that the shipper be “known” to them. This will mean that people will need to hire pet movers to safely ship their unaccompanied pets to their destination.

As a pet owner, you need to understand some of the general rules and regulations about transporting a pet by air. You should also make sure that the company you ultimately choose is bonded, check their references, ensure that they are endorsed by the appropriate regulatory agencies, such as the IPATA and the USDA.

Pet transporters can make the entire process of dog shipping much easier. Nevertheless, there are still questions you should be prepared to ask the shipper. Those at Animal Land would like to offer you the following helpful hints to help prepare your pet for travel:

1. It is a good idea to carry a leash or cat harness with you on a trip so that you may walk your pet before check-in and after arrival, and so that you can secure your pet during security screening.
2. Do not take your pet out of its kennel inside the airport unless airport personnel ask you to do so. In keeping with airport regulations and out of courtesy for other passengers, you should let your pet out of the kennel only after you leave the terminal building. Check with your airline or the airport information desk when you arrive at the terminal about pet relief areas.
3. In addition to showing your name and address as required by APHIS, you must mark the kennel with the pet’s name and the telephone number of a person at the destination who can be contacted about your pet. This is especially important if your pet is unaccompanied because you will not be there when your pet arrives. Pet transportation services will manage pick-up and delivery and can provide information on quarantine requirements for international travel for unaccompanied pets.
4. If your pet is traveling in the cargo system, remember that there is a processing period for cargo after arrival, which may vary depending on the airline, the airport, and whether your pet is arriving from a domestic or international location.
5. If you have questions, be sure to contact your airline.

Remember, even under the best conditions, air travel can be stressful on your pet. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before transporting your pet by air to make sure that your pet is sufficiently healthy to withstand the stresses associated with air travel. It is usually not recommended to give a pet a sedative. Settings can be disastrous in pet shipping.

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Tags: Dog shipping, pet shipping, pet transportation

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 26th, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Pets, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.