November 14, 2004 in Features

Allow plenty of time to prepare pet for air travel

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Soon millions of Americans will be celebrating the season by flying to visit their far-flung families. This year, along with the brightly wrapped gift boxes and tins of fruitcake that even the dog won’t eat, many of us will be taking our pets with us on our airplane journeys.

If you’re worried about flying with four-legged family members, you can minimize the chances of an unpleasant experience by following a few guidelines from experts in pet air travel and government agencies whose responsibility it is to ensure that pets are shipped safely and humanely.

Walter M. Woolf, VMD – who along with his wife, Millie, is the owner of Air Animal Pet Movers, a Tampa, Fla.-based company that ships pets worldwide – is adamant about one piece of “flying with your pet” advice:

“The well-traveled pet will receive no tranquilizers or sedatives,” Woolf says. “Pre-flight conditioning to the pet’s travel container is the no-risk and safe method of relaxing and conditioning your pet for airline travel and flight.”

Woolf also cautions pet owners that whether the pet flies as cargo or in the cabin, they must obtain a veterinary-issued interstate health certificate within 10 days of flight departure.

The Woolfs, whose company ships more than 2,000 animals per year, says owners who travel with their pets, especially during the winter, may encounter the airline requirement of a certificate of acclimation. Signed by both the pet owner and veterinarian, this document states the pet’s ability to withstand ground temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit for up to four hours (either at the origin, transfer or destination of the pet’s flight.) The certificate should contain the time frame as well as the lowest temperature the pet can withstand (general airline acceptance is 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Before you and your veterinarian become alarmed, Woolf explains that the certificate has absolutely nothing to do with the temperature within the aircraft during flight. It only references the conditions on the ground at origin, during transfer and at destination.

If you’ve ever seen pictures of Buffalo, N.Y., in January, you’ll know what they mean.

If your pet is flying this holiday season, make sure you have an airline-approved crate.

The Animal Welfare Act is the federal law governing the acceptance and carriage of live animals (dogs and cats). It mandates a pet carrier to be suitable for the pet to stand, turn and lie down comfortably.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which enforces AWA, has lots of specific pet travel requirements on its Web site: www.aphis.usda.gov.

A pet air-travel crate will not necessarily be the same as the carrier used for car trips and at home. Make sure you purchase the crate well in advance so that the pet can become accustomed to it prior to travel.

Ask your airline for details, or check the airline’s Web site for specific air carrier requirements. Mark the crate with the “Live Animal” stickers, as required by AWA. Contact your airline the day before your trip to confirm your reservations.

Try to book a nonstop flight for your pet; midday flights are best for pets when the weather is cold.

You should not put water in your dog’s crate because it can spill, and then the pet is sitting in a wet kennel; but instead you can take half-moon plastic clip-on cups, placing them in your freezer the day before your airline flight. As the ice melts, the pet has water or it can lick the ice.

For reasons of airline security, you will not have access to your pet during transfers.

When you arrive at your destination airport, your pet will be available for you shortly after you land at the airline’s baggage claim office, or the air carrier’s special handling office for live animals.

Some smaller pets are allowed to fly in-cabin in soft-side carriers after meeting certain requirements. Pet must stay inside the carrier for the duration of the flight.

To help ensure a great flight, familiarize your pet with its portable den well in advance of travel.

Reservations must be made well in advance, as only a small number of pets are allowed onboard, and an extra fee must be paid.

Check with airlines in advance, as rules and regulations vary from airline to airline.

A former flight attendant with two decades of experience, Gayle Martz, started out to find a stylish, lightweight carrier for her Lhasa Apso, Sherpa. The Sherpa Bag is now the officially approved soft sided carrier for all major airlines ( www.sherpapet.com).

Martz, who is based in New York City, encourages pet owners who take their pet on board with them to keep their presence low key and follow the rules by leaving them in the carrier even if they’re tempted to coddle, comfort or play with their pet.

An escaped pet can easily be hurt, the inside of the crate is a more consistent environment then the scary, bustling airport, and pets are very good at picking up on your nervousness from the pet owner’s muscle tension when you are holding them and then becoming scared themselves.

For more information about flying with your pet, visit www.airanimal.com, www.ipata.com or contact your veterinarian.

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