Pet Travel Blog

With the airlines adding so many additional costs to traveling these days, it is still possible to take your pet with you-but it is going to cost a little more.  Sandy Robin’s article on MSNBC.COM published today-June 25, 2008 explains the basic rates that each airline is charging domestically these days to fly with you pet: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25333275/
She also explains some of the airline ‘perks’ that are offered with mileage programs for pets.  The airlines have really fine tuned their policies and procedures for taking pets but you still need to know what to do to prepare your pet for the journey and if you are traveling to an international destination, you must be extra diligent in your pet planning. 
It is well worth your money to pay a professional to help you plan your pet’s travel.  Did you know that you cannot import a pet directly from the USA to Barbados?  Well you can but are you prepared for quarantine expenses when your pet arrives?  Did you also know that you need a ‘Commercial EU Pet Certificate’ when sending a pet into Finland-even though it is a family pet and has no commercial value what so ever?  You can take your pet to Hawaii now if you prepare properly in advance according to the guidelines set down by the local government of Hawaii.  And you can take your pet with you in the cabin of the aircraft if you want…however you will be hard pressed to find an airline that will allow this….The only one that allowed it was ATA and they have ceased service.
So, call a pet travel agent…it is so worth it!
Visit www.puppytravel.com to see what services you can receive and be sure and take the time to read the “on-line testimonials!”  Don’t you just love your pet?

Just when I thought I had heard most everything!  I have been an airline reservation agent, a travel agent, a corporate travel manager and now a travel agency owner and thought there was no longer a question that would really amaze me.  However…..I got one the other day.  A woman called to see how much it would cost to ship her cat from San Diego to Kansas City.  I advise her of the estimated amount.  She paused and asked me “Do you know if the U.S. Postal Service will let you send a cat in the mail?”  I literally was speechless for about 10 seconds…thinking did she just ask me what I THINK she asked me?  I quietly said “No.”  What do you think PETA would have to say about that?

It was reported by the government recently that “Money lost in Internet crimes hit a new high last year, topping about $240 million”.  It also stated that one of the biggest scams on the Internet is fraud that involves pets.  You do have to be careful!  Any pet shipper and/or pet travel agent in the United States can tell you of stories from clients and colleagues where people were completely ripped off by using an on-line company to purchase a pet.  A big part of this scam is the actual shipping of the pet to you the buyer.  Scammers have been known to use the names of established pet shipping companies.  They tell the buyer that their purchased pet is being delivered by one of these companies…when in fact it is a total lie.  As pet shippers we are very aware of these scams and do all we can to sort them out and get them off the internet.  If you need to use a pet shipper or pet travel agent here are things you need to look for:
 

1-Are they a member & in good standing with IPATA-International Pet and Animal Transportation Association?
www.ipata.com
2-Does the company offer references of past clients whom you can contact independently if requested?
3-Does the company that works with the animals have a USDA handler’s license?
4-Can the company answer specifically all questions regarding the transportation of your pet from origination to destination?
5-How long have they been in business and can they document this information for you?
 

Be careful and do your homework!  There are WONDERFUL companies that ship animals all over the world…just make sure you know who they are!
 

www.puppytravel.com

Pet Travel Consultations are so WORTH IT 
Many individuals these days are thinking that they can go ahead and plan their pet’s travel on their own-directly with the airlines.That is true you can…but how much patience do you have?  With summer around the corner you need to remember that not all airlines accept pets in the summer months and some have some very stringent restrictions regarding temperatures.  Did you know that Puppy Travel is the only full service pet travel agency for passengers and their pets in the United States?  We are very experienced and we know what we are doing.  If you are traveling internationally with your pet you are definitely going to want our help.Remember in the ‘good ole days’ when you needed to go somewhere you picked up the phone can called your travel agent?  

It has been 5 years now since I started my pet travel agency. Mostly I do travel planning for cats and dogs…I have however done some other ‘pets’. I did 2 little chinchillas “Ben and Jerry” from the United States to Germany. They did great. Had a bit of a hassle convincing the airlines that chinchillas are not ‘endangered’ species.
I also imported a pet rabbit to Argentina – “Shadow”. The USDA has a special form for rabbits importing into Argentina. The export agent in Buenos Aires got a bit upset when it said ‘MINK’ on the top of the form….it actually was for minks And for rabbits. Shadow did just fine on his journey to Argentina.
Next personal challenge: Getting my neighbors dog ‘Izzy” from Salt Lake City to San Jose, Costa Rica. It is so hard to do friends and family travel! Things that come so easily with clients seem to worry me more when they see me every day!