The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers these tips to help you prepare for a car trip with your pet and make it go a little smoother.
If your pet is not accustomed to the car, take it for a few short rides before the trip. This can help keep your pet from becoming nervous or agitated, and may lessen the effects of motion sickness. If, after a number of practice trips, your pet continues to cry excessively or becomes sick, consult your veterinarian.
Buckling up is an important safety precaution for your pet. Many states now require that pets be restrained while in a moving vehicle, and restraints have several advantages. They help protect pets in case of a collision, and they keep pets from running loose and distracting the driver. They also keep pets from escaping the car through an open window or door.
Cats and smaller dogs are often most comfortable in pet carriers, which can be purchased in various sizes at most pet stores. Carriers give many animals a sense of security and familiar surroundings, and can be secured to the car seat with a seat belt or a specially designed carrier restraint. There are also pet restraints available that can be used without carriers, including harnesses, seat belt attachments, pet car seats, vehicle barriers, and truck/pickup restraint systems. No matter what kind of restraint you use, be sure that it does not permit your pet's head to extend outside the car window.
While packing for your trip, remember to throw in a few of your pet's favorite toys, food and water bowls, a leash, and food. You should also carry a first aid kit for your pet, and know basic pet first aid. Also, if your pet is on a special therapeutic diet, bring along an extra supply in case you can't find the food in a strange area.
Stick to your regular feeding routine while traveling, and give your pet its main meal at the end of the day or when you've reached your destination. Give your pet small portions of both food and water and plan to stop every two hours for exercise.
Remember that your veterinarian is a good source of information about what your pet will need when traveling. Consider having your pet examined before you leave as well, to check for any developing problems. Also, be sure to travel with a copy of your pet's medical records, especially if the animal has a difficult medical history.
Some pets travel better while tranquilized. Tranquilizers can lessen agitation and motion sickness in pets traveling by car.
Learn more about the area you will be visiting. Your veterinarian can tell you if there are any diseases like heartworm or Lyme disease and vaccinations or medications your pet may require. A health examination following your trip should be considered to determine if any internal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, heartworms) or external parasites (ticks, fleas) were picked up in contaminated exercise or wooded areas. Also, be aware of any unique laws. Some places have restrictions on exotic animals (ferrets are not allowed in some cities), and there are restrictive breed laws in others, such as no pit bulls allowed. Your pet could be affected by these laws, so call ahead to the city or travel information bureau for more information.
To avoid losing your pet during a trip, make sure your pet is wearing an i.d. tag. To be doubly protected, consider having your pet tattooed or having a microchip implanted.
It is important to carry health and rabies vaccine certificates, particularly if you will be crossing the border into Canada, the US, or Mexico. All three countries allow dogs and cats to enter if they meet stringent entry requirements. Depending on the country, exotic pets may be allowed to enter, though they may need further documentation. Call the Agriculture Department or embassy of the country or state to which you are traveling for information on the vaccinations, documentation, fees, or quarantine that may be required to bring your pet into the country.
Use the following links below to help you prepare for your next trip.
Customers must be 18 years or older to travel with pet in the cabin. A customer traveling with a pet must not occupy an emergency exit row seat. The First Class cabin can accommodate a total of one small pet per flight, and the main cabin can accommodate a total of up to five small pets per flight. A customer may travel with a maximum of two carry-on kennels/containers in the main cabin, only when the adjacent seat is purchased by the same customer.
Traveling with pets? The following American Airlines pet policy information will provide the answers to many common questions regarding the transportation of pets. Special pet guidelines apply for travel to international destinations and Hawaii. Please refer to the appropriate American Airlines pet policy sections below for more detailed pet information regarding those destinations.
With offices on 5 continents, Animal Land specializes in coordinating pet relocation to anywhere in world. Of course we also handle domestic pet relocations as well. Our specialty is handling your complete pet travel needs, wherever and whenever the need arises.
CDC regulations govern the importation of dogs, cats, turtles, monkeys, other animals, and animal products capable of causing human disease. Requirements for the importation of the most common pets are described below. Pets taken out of the United States are subject upon return, to the same regulations as those entering for the first time.
Continental is committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all of our customers, including pets. Because we share our customers' concern that their pets' flights are stress-free, we have enhanced our animal acceptance policy to transport pets as cargo. Our program is called PetSafe®. Under this program, Continental does not accept pets as checked baggage.
The United States has minimal requirements for animals to be exported to other countries. Your Area Veterinarian-in-Charge can provide you with the current regulations, tests, and inspections required. Approved ports of embarkation and shipping requirements can be found in 9 CFR 91. Each country may have other specific health requirements for entry of animals. These requirements are established by the importing country, not the United States.
At Delta, we take the time and care to ensure every animal travels safely and comfortably with our Delta Pet First™ service. There are several different options available to get your pet to its final destination, including being brought into the cabin with you, checked as baggage, or being shipped.
DogFriendly.com, Inc. is the leading provider of nationwide city guides and travel guides for dog owners. We are dedicated to finding places that people and dogs can enjoy together. If you want to travel, sightsee, or just go around town with your pooch, then you've come to the right place! We focus on listing places that allow dogs of all sizes (some of our advertisers allow small dogs only), as well as focusing on lodging that does not restrict dogs to smoking rooms. DogFriendly.com has been online since June of 1998 and we are always adding new dog-friendly places for you and your best friend.
Frontier is discontinuing its pets in the cabin program. We will honor pet reservations prior to June 10, 2008, but will not accept reservations after June 9th, 2008. We will still be happy to carry your pet as checked baggage.
Traveling with your dog across the United States can indeed be frustrating for the active dog owner. Many popular destinations such as American national parks do not welcome dogs. But active dog owners don't have to be shut out from America's splendors. Your dog can't trot among the giant saguaro cacti in Arizona's Saguaro National Park but he can hike past the stately sentinels of the desert on the Canyon Loop at nearby Catalina State Park.
We accept small cats and dogs in the cabin of the aircraft on both domestic
and international flights (no other animals are allowed). The following guidelines apply
to customers bringing a pet.
Your pet is important. For this reason, Northwest Airlines has enhanced and improved our Priority Pet Program. Northwest continues to provide several safe, comfortable travel options for your pet.
Pet travel agency Pet Express provides transportation services for pets moving within the U.S. and internationally. Focusing on your pet’s safety and comfort, our pet transportation specialists help you with every detail.
PetFriendlyTravel.com™ provides easy access to pet friendly hotels accommodations, dog and pet friendly hotels, vacation rentals, cabins, motels, bed and breakfast inns, resorts and spas in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. All of the properties listed on the site are pet friendly.
We're an online community serving the pet travel industry and pet lovers everywhere who want the most reliable resources for traveling with pets
in an easily navigable website.
Pets on the Go™ is the definitive guide for information on pet friendly B&Bs, inns, hotels, resorts and private rentals. Look to Pets on the Go™ for critically acclaimed original content, independent reviews, and professional advice. We interpret regulations, dig into the details, and uncover the real deal on pet friendly places to stay. Entertaining and informative -- we simplify pet travel.
So why not explore it with petswelcome.com--the internet's largest pet/travel resource? Click on our Lodging Listings for over 25,000 hotels, B&Bs, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches that are pet-friendly. Check out our Travel Tips section to learn how to take your pet anywhere. Or visit our Info Xchange to find answers from millions of other sophisticated travelers like yourself.
Southwest Airlines Contract of Carriage – Passenger Sixth Revised
These files are presented by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services but are written and maintained by each State. For clarification on any of the rules and regulations, contact the State veterinarian.
Since 1996, TravelPets.com has been bridging the gap between the traveling pet owner looking for a pet friendly place to rest their heads and the properties that are able to provide these accomodations. With over 1.4 million viewers per month, our site has grown to be the top advisory for people traveling with their pets. From prestigious continental hotels to cozy inns, bed-and-breakfasts, country cabins, and roadside motels, our visitors have access to a deluxe database of over 6,000 accommodations around the globe that accept pets.
Information on arrangements and fees for traveling with your pet.
The number of pets that may be carried in each cabin is limited. In order for your pet to travel with you, you must make your reservations on flights with cabin pet space available.
