Traveling with pets is a process with what seems like endless details to get ready! At this point - the moment of departure; all paperwork, permits, vet checks, reservations, and other myriad details are taken care of. The time has come to take off! Follow along and see what takes place on this journey.
It’s travel time! Together, we have decided the best method of transfer for your pet to us for the trip. In fact, you may already have already departed or are getting ready to go. What works best for you determines when and where we pick your pet up, whether at the airport or elsewhere or whether from you personally or a designated kennel/frined/family.
After we greet your pet and allow them to get to know us, we check their harness or collar to make sure they are on correctly. We also check the tags; making sure your dogs tags have current contact information on them and if there are none, we attach our own with current contact information, just in case. (During the flight time, we remove the collar or harness to prevent any mishaps.) We check the dog to ensure their microchip is scanning. We attach a separate set of documents as well as food (when allowed) to the travel cage, incase there might be need enroute and carry another set with us. You will have a copy of the documents also. Once everything is determined to be in order, the trip begins!
How your pet travels depends on multiple criteria, such as size and/or type. Medium and large dogs must travel as pet cargo. Small animals, if under 17 pounds (depending on the airline), are often allowed to travel in the passenger cabin. We select our flights to allow for in-cabin pets when ever possible. All dogs must have a reservation to travel, since there are usually limits as to how many pets are allowed to fly in each plane. If traveling in-cabin, they must be in a travel bag designed for this purpose. The travel bag is lined with doggie wee pads, just in case-and we have extra. But you would be surprised at how good the dogs or cats usually are! Once boarded, your pet is placed under the seat in front of us. We are able to see them the entire time and monitor them continously. Sometimes, if seatmates & flight attendants are animal freindly, we can hold the bag in our lap and visit with your pet. Each trip is different. At each connection, if there are any, they are taken out to exercise and relieve themselves. We also offer a drink and snack. When traveling most pets usually chose to not eat, this is entirely normal. No matter what, they are offered food at the appropriate time.
When we reach a transfer airport or the final destination, we begin the process of going through customs where we present all required documents, pay fees if there are any and prepare your pet for a veterinary examination, if required. Once we are done with this, dependent on whether you are meeting us at the airport or we must come to your location, we take the last steps neccesary for this journey.
In the case of medium or large dogs, they must travel in the cargo space as pet cargo. Not all airlines allow for this, complicating planning of your pets journey. At this point in time, all three major US airlines are not accepting pet cargo, so we have to fly other airlines to get your pet to you. We fly reputable airlines that are centered on safety and customer service. Our experience helps us plan the best route for your pet, utilizing the best suited airline to get your pet to you.
As with smaller pets, a reservation must be made prior to travel. We make their reservation immediately when we book travel tickets. Not all planes have designated animal cargo space; which is temperature controlled and pressurized as in the passenger compartments so we have to be very careful in our planning. Pet cargo space is located in front of the wing, underneath the passenger compartment. To travel here, all pets must be in travel crates specially designed for this purpose. We can provide crates or use yours. All crates must comply with the Animal Welfare Act, which means specific criteria must be met. Look here for the page we created which explains crate details.
Click "Where Is My Pet During Flight" to see Captain Joe's explaination where your pet flies when traveling in the cargo hold. You don't want to miss this! You can find more from Captain Joe on Youtube!
Flying dogs as pet cargo can be tricky, dependent on the season. There are temperature requirements that must be met at every connection or the dog will not be accepted for travel by the airlines. We strive to arrange flights to come in at the right temperature zones, so sometimes a night flight with early morning arrival is necessary. When we complete the details of your pets trip, we explain them to you in detail. You should know we have to be careful regarding temperature. Travel restrictions may come in play if exterior temperatures rise above 85 °F or drop below 45 °F, at any connecting airport.
When a dog is flying in pet cargo, we take them to the designated location to check in. Where they need to check in is different at each airport. Once we arrive, airline personel review their documents and begin the intake process. We give the dog water in a water bottle which is attached to the door. If this is not allowed, we have a dish on the crate door which will be able to receive water without opening the door. The bedding is a travel mat if you are certain the dog will not chew it apart. We don’t want to give the dog anything that they can shred into small pieces and swallow, possibly creating a medical emergency. Once everything is in order and your pet is traveling in comfort, we make sure the crate(s) are correctly closed and locked.
After the paperwork is finished, the airline takes possesion of your dog. The crate is loaded onto a trolley at the check-in counter, since they should not be moved on the luggage conveyor belt, this is against animal welfare rules. They are taken by the flight cargo handlers to a climate controlled cargo holding area to wait until it’s time to load the plane. At the appropriate time a ground crew member loads them onto a wagon to take them out to the plane. They should not be sitting on the tarmac long, we keep an eye out to make sure this does not happen. If the dog is in a smaller crate they are often carried up stairs into the hold. If the crate is larger or heavy, it is placed on the conveyor belt to the plane, but when this happens there are several ground crew there to make sure the crate is steady on the belt up to the plane cargo hold and nothing happens to the dog. One member of the crew is waiting at the door to receive the crate and then places it in the designated spot where they tie the crate down securely. Unfortunately, we are not always able to see the process of the dog being loaded into the plane, since there might not be window access providing a good view. We always try to monitor this when ever possible.
Here is a "undercover video" of a few Corgis's being loaded into an Air Canada cargo hold. Notice the dog is transported up into the plane on a conveyor belt.
To make sure the dog is loaded on the plane we ask the gate agent to confirm the dog has been brought out to the plane by calling the ground crew to ask. When boarding, the head flight attendant is alerted that we need confirmation the dog is boarded. We give them our seat number so they can find us once it is confirmed by the captain. The captain radios the ground crew to inquire if the dog is loaded. Once the ground crew can confirm this, they contact the captain. They inform the head flight attendant, who comes to our seat to let us know the dog is on board. If we do not receive confirmation and the crew begins final preparations prior to closing the door, we always go to talk with them to determine where the dog is. We will not leave without them. We have a ticket for the dog and the airlines must accommodate us regarding the dog.
Once in the cargo hold, the dog crates are never stacked on top of luggage, or each other and they are securely fastened in place.The hold is temperature-controlled and pressurized, so it is a humane way to transport them. Most airlines have a limit as to how many pets can travel in the cargo hold. This is determined by the size and type of plane. Take a look at this video "On Board" by our friend Captain Joe. It has lots of details about where your pet will be in Cargo. Once the flight arrives at its destination, the entire process is reversed. Your dog is moved before the rest of the luggage is. It is transported to either a holding area if continuing on, or to the final release point. As we disembark the plane we ask the gate agent to call the ground crew to find out if the dog is off the plane. If not, we wait with the gate agent until they receive confirmation.
Below find a video of what your pet may experience. Note that the dog was checked multiple time by the cargo crews and it looks like either the Captain or Co-Captain checked on the dog, when they were doing their ground check of the plane.
If we are making a connection, as we deplane, the gate attendent is asked to verify that the dog has been unloaded and is headed to the connecting plane or cargo area to wait. Once confirmed we head to the next gate before boarding time to repeat our dog boarding confirmation process, to ensure your pet is not lost along the way. The airlines will not allow the dog to be brought out to us once the trip begins. They will only hand the dog back once it reaches its final destination. If this is an extended trip* where there is a layover at a hotel, we pick the dog up and take it through customs, take care of its needs and make it comfortable to rest up for the next travel day. We have prepared documentation for the lay-over country's entry requirements with us to ensure your pet will be allowed entry. We begin the check-in process the next day to continue the trip.
*Extended trips occur when traveling great distances where we cannot safely or comfortably get the pet to in one day. It may be necessary to layover since we do not want the dog to travel in a crate without a break for extended time periods, which could potentially be between 16-24 hours or more.
On arrival we confirm that the dog has been unloaded, by asking the gate agent to call the ground crew for confirmation. Once confirmed, we head to the designated pick up location to get your dog. After determining all is well with them, we proceed through the customs process, where you can be sure the veterinary paperwork will be heavily scrutinized. Of course how the process plays out, is dependent on the destination country’s rules and regulations. Our paper work is in order and we can prove the microchip matches since we have our microchip reader with us. Nothing is left to chance.
One big advantage to this method of delivery is the dog is out of its crate fairly quickly upon arrival, since there is no mandatory holding time in the cargo pick up area. Cargo holding times can often be a frustrating 4 hours before pick up from air cargo is allowed. Our service usually eliminates this long waiting time for release as well as possible additional fees, including mandatory and expensive customs agents that have to approve paperwork. Once we get the dog through customs, we continue with our plans to get your dog to you, as agreed upon prior to the beginning of the journey.
We stay in communication with you through out the trip, whenever possible. We know you are worried about a safe arrival. Its our job to make sure that happens and that you are a part of the journey, all the way through.
Another worry many owners have is how their dog will be treated by baggage personel and ground crews. It’s important for you to know that most baggage personel and ground crews treat your pets with respect. Many have been taught regulations that they must adhere to according to the prevaling laws of their country. Often airline personnel have animals too and understand they deserve proper care.
Our experience has been they generally are sincerely kind to them, despite what negative information you may come across during your research on flying dogs. Millions of animals travel by air yearly, including million dollar race or event horses! The airlines are prepared to safeguard your pet, and we monitor them the entire way.
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