Pet Travel Blog

What a great story about Pearl the black Labrador who was rescued in Denver! http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Dog-Rescue.html
Pearl was out on a walk with her owner when she slipped off her leash to chase a duck.  The next thing her owner knew Pearl was going down on cracking ice.  The lady was smart enough not to try and go in and get Pearl.  She got an expert to do it for her-a fire fighter who knew what he was doing. In less than 10 minutes the dog was safely returned from the cold ice to its owner.  Two significant parts to this story stand out.
First, everyone reading this story or viewing it on television had to feel so good that there was a happy ending.   Especially all of us who LOVE our dogs; it is amazing how fast things can happen on a peaceful dog walk.  Any one of use have experienced something startling and threatening when out with our pets on a simple walk.  I so clearly remember walking my dogs last summer in the evening and suddenly dog darts out of nowhere and began to attack one of my little dogs-Soozie.  It was awful.  I am reasonably sure the dog wanted to kill my dog.  Gratefully the pet sitter came running and literally pried the dog off of Soozie.  Sooz was limp from the trauma but o.k.  Thank goodness! 
The second significant part to the story of Pearl’s rescue in the ice is the importance of Pearl’s owner letting someone who knows what they are doing – save the dogs life.  Many times I get groans and grumbles from potential clients at the fees I charge to ship their pets.  They think that it should not be that difficult and why would I charge to consult, book and assist in shipping their pets?  Shipping pets to me is the same as planning travel for unaccompanied children.  You cannot be too careful and past experience is so valuable.  It is not uncommon for me to receive a phone call from a panicked traveler who is at the airport with their pet thinking everything regarding the pet’s travel is in order and it is not!  Things from wrong size crate, unacceptable crate, incorrect documentation and health certificates, too cold outside for airline regulations, co-share airline connections that are incompatible….the list goes on.   It’s pretty difficult to ‘fix’ situations when they have reached this point-actually it is almost impossible.  Yes, the business of pet travel is an “imperfect science” but it certainly seems wise to me to at least hire someone who is an expert in the field.
Why take the risk of falling in the ice with your dog and both of you are in trouble?

Being a pet travel agent is a very interesting job. There are positives as well as negatives, just like any profession. There are so few travel agents now that I sometimes wonder why I stay in this hectic and ever-changing business. I have always said that the only way a travel agent really learns their job is by making mistakes; that the difference between a good travel agent and a GREAT travel agent is the GREAT travel agent fixes their mistakes without anyone every knowing there were any!

I have decided to share with you on occasion some ‘Pet Travel Agent Advice for Dummies’. My own creative manual based on years and years of hands on experience.

Chapter 1:

#1: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING
There are so many unwritten rules in the industry and so often you will call a vendor and they will tell you one thing and then you call again, ask the exact same question and are told a totally different answer. Lesson learned: Remember and document who told you what and when; an actual name and date works wonders.
#2: NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING
The rules in the travel industry change faster than anything you have ever experienced. You may have sent a pet in cabin last month on an airline and everything went great. That is not a guarantee that the airline has not changed their policies regarding pets in the cabin now. If your client gets to the airport with Fluffy in tow and is told they no longer accept in-cabin pets you will be the first person they will call.

Lesson learned: Always verify and TRIPLE check any policies or information to be sure that nothing has changed.
#3: DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
The travel industry has so many variables that sometimes you think you are going to go crazy. You try and think of everything you possibly can to avoid problems. You may spend weeks preparing a client and her dog to travel to South America. The requirements for the dog to enter a country can be very complicated and time sensitive. You get everything done for the pet exactly as is needed to avoid any problems with your client and the dog on arrival. You get the dreaded phone call from the airport-you focused hard on the pet and you forgot about the ‘human’ passenger. They need a Visa!

Lesson learned: You must try always to look at every minor travel detail. The airlines will not always take the time to tell you everything you must know. That is your job.
#4: TRAVEL AGENTS ARE NOT PAID COMMISSIONS BY THE AIRLINES
Travel Agencies used to receive a 10% commission baseline on every transaction ten years ago. The airlines first capped the sales commissions at 10% or $50 whichever was less and then they took them away completely. World wide airlines have not paid out commissions for a long time.

Lesson learned: Travel agents must charge fees for their services. You will need to pay for services received.