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Guidelines for Adventures with Your Pet
No pet lover wants
to leave home without their beloved pet.
Gayle
Martz, founder and President of Sherpa's Pet Trading Company,
has traveled more than a million miles in the sky with her beloved
Coton de Tulear, Su-Nae, and has some tips for traveling in
the air and on the road with your pet.
Here are some guidelines for traveling in the air and on the
road:
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Familiarize
the pet with its carrier before leaving home. Leave it open
with a favorite item inside.
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Carry
a current health certificate from the veterinarian dated within
7 to 10 days of departure date. It's essential to check the
specific requirements of the airline involved. Airlines usually
only allow one pet per cabin so advise them well in advance.
Many allow pets to travel in the cabin for domestic flights,
while long haul traveling often restricts them to a special
cargo section, where costs vary according to weight. Pet carriers
also have to comply with strict specifications.
-
Make
sure the pet has an identification tag on its collar with
the owner's home address and phone number and the address
and phone number of the destination.
-
Pack
a travel kit with the pet's food, dishes, toys, bedding, medicine,
and health documents.
-
Don't
leave a pet alone in a zipped-up bag.
-
Take note of
airline size requirements. the pet must be 18 or less inches lengthwise, 11 or less inches heightwise, and weigh 22 pounds
or less.
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Make
a reservation and purchase a ticket for the pet.
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Make
sure the carrier has an absorbent liner installed — it's
an airline requirement.
-
Contact
the individual airline carrier for the under seat dimensions and specific
regulations.
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At
the security checkpoint, inform the agent that a
pet is in the carrier and can't be exposed to X-rays. The
agent can use a hand-held metal detector to examine
the bag.
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Make
sure the bag zippers are fully closed to prevent the pet from
getting out.
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When
flying outside the United States, contact the
embassy or consulate at least four weeks beforehand for quarantine
or health requirements at the destinations.
-
Don't
let the pet out of its bag or carrier at any time during the
flight or at the terminal.
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Don't
feed the pet within six hours of departure or give it water
within two hours of departure.
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Never
use tranquilizers unless directed by a veterinarian.
For more information, visit Sherpa
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