How To Keep Your Pets Safe When Flying
It use to be the case that pets were only allowed to travel on airplanes if they were in secured, sometimes windowless cages stored beneath the plane with the luggage. Over the years though the extreme changes in cabin pressure and temperature have made airlines (as well as pet owners) re-think how they handle pets during long flights. For some airlines that meant insulating the storage area beneath the plane to properly shield extreme cases of cold or heat due to traveling at 30,000 feet, others that meant training both flight attendant as well as baggage crews on how to handle both well-behaved and ill-behaved pets. Most of the major airlines won’t even let you fly with animals if its during the more hotter months in the summer for fear that the animal may be aversely affected by it.
If your travel companion is a small pet then it’s much easier to take them with you in a soft dog carrier. The majority of airlines will allow passengers to bring a small dog, cat or other pet into the passenger cabin as long as it is quiet, odorless and and above all restrained in their carrier for the duration of the flight. While you might cringe at the thought of keeping them in their dog carrier for a long flight, it is worlds better than the alternative they would have faced traveling with your toothbrush and shoes downstairs. Now in order for you and your pet to qualify for passage on an airline the pet and carrier must have a combined weight of no more than 40 pounds and must also fit underneath the seat in front of you. Because a lot of the airlines have a limit to the number of pets that they’ll allow in the cabin for any given flight, if you’d like to take your four-legged friend with you on the plane make sure to notify the airline as soon as possible so that you can be guaranteed one of those slots.
Before booking any flight you should call your airline and discuss with them what their policies are for traveling with pets. Each airline is different in their policies towards pets both traveling in the cabin as well as stored underneath the plane. Airline personnel can also help owners choose a flight that will be most comfortable for their pet. Try to aim for a flight in the early morning or late evening during the summertime as it’ll be the coolest during those hours. Any airline representative should be able to assist you in picking a flight that is right for your animal/situation so contacting them should be one of the first steps in your travel preparations.
Regardless of how your pet will travel, there are precautions owners need to take to be sure traveling is safe and healthy for the animal. AAHA suggests, and major airlines require, that traveling pets be examined by a veterinarian no more than 10 days before to the date of departure. You will also be required to provide the necessary rabies vaccination certifications when you check in to the airport prior to boarding. Because their feeding schedule might be affected ask your veterinarian for tips on how to keep your pet fed and happy. The age and size of the pet, time and distance of the flight and regular dietary routine all will play a part in your pet’s well-being. There is also a Federal Regulations that states that dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old and weaned at least five days before flying. If you’re meeting your pet at the airport on a different flight, you will need to be there when it lands. No late-pickups!
A sturdy pet carrier or kennel, available from most airline or pet shops, is another important precaution to ensure a safe flight. The carrier should have all hard sides-with the exception of soft-carriers for pets small enough to travel in the cabin, those are specifically designed for airline travel and will help keep your pet calm and content during the trip. These pet carriers or dog kennels should be ventilated on at least two opposite sides (to allow for a steady flow of air), with exterior rims or knobs to prevent blocked airflow, and its also very important that the carrier or kennel is large enough for the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down in. This more so applies to dogs traveling in the luggage compartment but it also will keep your small cabin-traveling dog comfortable as well. Both the kennels and dog carriers should have water resistant bottoms with plenty of soft material at the base, this will help contain any potential accidents due to your pet getting startled during flight. Your kennel should also be marked with a large, highly visible label reading “Live Animal,” at least one inch tall, including arrows indicating the carrier’s upright position. Finally, both the pet and the carrier should be well marked with the owner’s name, address, and phone number, and the pet’s updated health certificate and the feeding plan from the veterinarian should be posted on the carrier.
Taking your pet on a vacation with you is a rewarding experience and in the end you’ll be the only one who can truly judge whether or not they’d be able to handle themselves on the flight. There are a lot of both dogs and cats who are overly sensitive to changes in cabin pressure and flying may not be for them.
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