Pet Travel Blog

Summer pet travel is here! Pet travel in the summer is always a challenge. Many of the U.S. domestic airlines start to impose their summertime embargoes. Delta Air Lines will not allow any pets to be checked from May 15 to September 15, 2007. They will allow pets that can travel ‘in-cabin’ as long as they fit in a crate or sherpa that will fit under the seat in front of you. There is a limit on the number of in-cabin pets allowed per flight so be sure they know in advance that you are taking a pet on board with you. American, Northwest and United Airlines have the same rules for carry-on pets but will accept a “checked pet” with a passenger as long as the temperatures in every city on the travel itinerary do not exceed 85F. This can be a real nail bitter if you already have your tickets and are hoping to check your pet as extra baggage to travel with you. They claim that it is for the safety of the pet and you want to believe that. A traveler has to wonder why Lufthansa, KLM, Air France and many other international carriers do not impose a temperature restriction or embargo during the summer. Is it because they are savvier to pets or is it because the domestic U.S. airlines just don’t want to hassle with pets? Remember that once the pets have been loaded onto the aircraft the temperatures in the ‘hold’ are the same as the passenger cabin and are regulated by the pilots on most aircraft. The concern is the tarmac. The tarmac is the same temperature for all airlines at LAX so why the difference? I have no idea.
That being said, if you want to take your Labrador with you to Jackson Hole this summer you cannot. Delta Air Lines is taking no live animals in or out of Jackson Hole; accompanied or not. The closest airport you will be able to fly into is probably Salt Lake City / SLC. You may be able to squeeze in on Delta into SLC during the early morning hours or late after the sun goes down. We get many inquires to drive pets from SLC to Jackson Hole. We are happy to do it for you and will take excellent care of you pet. It is pricey with the travel distance + the cost of fuel you are looking at $750US for the transport alone. We do it all the time. Give us a call toll free at 877-261-3555 and we will put you on our calendar! Happy Traveling! www.puppytravel.com

Pet Travel Advice for Dummies:

Don’t purchase an airline passenger ticket if you are planning to take your pet with you until you have checked with the airline to see what their summer pet travel policies are! If you are flying Southwest Airlines they do not take pets at all …. Ever.

Pet owners here in the U.S. need to take the importance of rabies vaccinations for our pets very seriously. The United States is not considered a ‘rabies free country’ and because of this importing a pet from the United States can be difficult. This must be for a reason.

Most other countries have very strict rabies vaccine policies for pets entering or importing to their countries. If your pet is traveling into any island country - New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the islands of Hawaii-the requirements to avoid long term quarantine are extensive. Your must complete rabies FAVN titer test with an ‘accredited USDA vet’ at an ‘approved lab’ many months in advance of entry. These results must meet a specific criteria stating that your pet is adequately vaccinated against rabies. Some countries may require a 30 day waiting period after the first rabies vaccine before entry is allowed. Other countries recognize the 3 year vaccine that we use here in the United States-but not all countries do. The documentation to verify that the rabies is valid and proof provided is strict and enforced. In reverse, to enter or reenter the United States-except Hawaii-all you really need for your pet is a valid health certificate. I sometimes wonder if any customs officials even look at these documents for validity and verification before letting pets enter the U. S. You rarely hear of a dog or cat that has rabies but I guess that there are bats and rodents that still carry rabies in our country. I personally wish we had a better method for containing rabies and also for what we allow to come into our country. The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah has prides itself on the ‘animal lifts’ and extensive efforts in bringing homeless pets from countries in the Middle East to the U.S. While it is wonderful that they want to save so many pets lives around the world, what new challenges that we do not even know about disease wise are they introducing by the ability to so easily bring pets into our country? With our country as sophisticated as it is, is this really a good thing to introduce to our pets that already exist here? I am not a vet and do not have that kind of a background, but is seems to me that if most other nations have strict regulations about rabies and diseases before allowing pets to enter their counties, why don’t we?

Pet Travel Advice for Dummies: Never ever let your pet’s rabies vaccine expire!

Sounds Great! Think about it!