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Tips for Flying with Your Pet

May 18, 2017 by Mary Telesz

We all adore our pets, and can’t imagine life without them. Sometimes, however, owning a pet can be a bit of a nuisance. We might think of our dogs or cats as a family member, but that doesn’t mean that we call a dog-sitter when we want to go on our date.

For the most part, animals are fine when left alone in the house during shopping trips, date nights, and maybe even an occasional overnight stay (as long as you leave late and come home early the next morning). However, taking a vacation when you have a pet can be a real headache. First, you have to think about whether you’re leaving them at home or bringing them with you — this initial decision can be complicated enough.

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Flying with petsIf you decide to leave them at home, you have to figure out how you intend to do this: will you ask a close friend or relative to dogsit? If so, do you require them to stay over at your place or just call in to feed them every day? Do you trust them enough to feed them at the right time/the right amount/fill their water bowl often enough? Is your pet friendly? Or will they be not-too-happy about your next-door-neighbour turning the key in the lock every day?

If you decide to take them with you, the obvious question pertains to your mode of travel. Are you just going for a break a few hours away or flying to Australia? If you’re driving to the next state, is it suitable to bring your pet in the car? Do you have a pet crate for transport? If you’re planning a cruise, did you know that there are a few pet-friendly cruises out there?

All of these questions can be overwhelming, but the option that inarguably requires the most contemplation and preparation is deciding to bring your pet along on an airplane. To help you out, here are some tips that will reduce the inevitable stress and anxiety you feel when thinking about taking your precious fur-babies on a plane:

Research and Preparation

First things first: fly with your pet only if you have lots of time before the flight. We recommend starting research and preparation at least three months before your flight: particularly if you order the transport cage online as I did (online is much cheaper).

The Cage

You don’t need to hire a professional company to do the transport for you. The vast majority of pets will be fine being flown in their cage if properly introduced to it to build comfort and familiarity. We recommend buying the cage and having it arrive at your house at least two weeks before the flight so you can get your animal used to it by leaving it open and putting a blanket or toys in it. Some cat and dog breeds are highly strung, so it will take them a while to become comfortable with the cage, especially when you try to close the hinge.

The Vet

Your animal will have to get injections coming up to the date of the flight. The amount and nature of the injections depends on three things:

Your Country of Flight Origin

The country you’re flying from affects the veterinary care needed because different countries are prone to different diseases. The general rule is that your animal has to have injections to prevent or cure any diseases that affect them in your country of origin — not your destination. This is because the country you’re going to doesn’t want to bring a new disease into their own country, so if you come from a country that has animal diseases that are foreign to them, they require your animal to be vaccinated against it (even if they don’t have, and never had, the disease).

Your destination

Flying with petsThe country you’re going to only really matters in the sense that you have to make sure your animal is vaccinated against all diseases required by that country. For example, if you’re from America and flying to Ireland, you have to get rabies shots for a pet you’re bringing on board. This is because America has rabies naturally present in animal populations and Ireland doesn’t.

However, if you want to be really organized and reduce further potential stress, you may want to check out the animal diseases that occur in the country of your destination. A good way of illustrating this is by flipping the Ireland/America example the other way round.

The requirements for flying dogs on a plane set for America is actually very easy: oftentimes, all you have to do is get them a general check-up to say they were in good health. This is just to cover the general regulations of any airline or airport, who want to cover themselves legally in case something happens to your animal on the flight. This has nothing to do with disease or vaccination. Get any necessary vaccinations very close to the actual flight so that they won’t expire before arriving in America. This isn’t essential for your animal to enter the destination country, but it saves the extra stress of making a vet appointment as soon as you arrive. More information on bringing your pet to the U.S. can be found on the CDC’s website.

What airline you’re flying with

Every airline/airport have different rules and regulations pertaining to the transport of animals, so as soon as you have your flight booked you should contact the appropriate staff to find out what those specifics are. Different airlines, for example, have different requirements for the height/length/width/material of the transport mechanism for your animal.

The Checklist for Flying with Fido

All of the information above will undoubtedly help you to feel more confident and relaxed about flying with your pet. Below is a checklist of the things you need to remember when preparing to fly with your animal:

Before Booking:

Check that the flight allows animals by consulting the airline website. Write down questions you’ll want to ask on the phone.

When Booking

Book your animal on board the same flight and ask the questions you wrote down. If you remember other ones later, call back when convenient.

After Booking

Consult the airline website for more detailed information. Next, check out the country of origin airport to see if they have any extra regulations (usually they just say to contact the airline). Finally, check the airport of the destination country to see what their animal process is.

Months Before the Flight

Book vet for required and optional injections/check-up, check that you have all the appropriate documentation for your animal, order the cage and train them how to use it, and make general arrangements for the day of the flight.

Alternatively, you might want to opt for the easy choice and hire a pet-sitter so you can avoid the headache of this scenario altogether!

Filed Under: Travel

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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