Safe Travel With Pets

by Tara Copp
Scripps Howard News Service

If you plan to take Flossie or Fido along on a trip that requires flying, be prepared to get to the airport extra early and before you embark, go for a healthy romp with your pet. He'll be spending a lot of time in a cage and you'll be standing in endless lines.

Although Northwest, like many airlines, stopped accepting pets in the immediate days following the Sept. 11 attacks, it has resumed animal services with slightly different guidelines. Pet owners who need to fly with animals need to arrive even earlier than before, said spokesmen for all the major air carriers--United Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, TWA and Northwest Airlines.

After Sept. 11, the nation's airports recommended passengers arrive two hours before their scheduled takeoff. But pet owners have two check-ins. Most of the airlines have a separate ticket counter for pet check-in and passengers still must wind through the main check-in and ticketing line afterward.

"At least an extra 30 minutes is a good idea," said Kathy Peach, a spokeswoman for Northwest Airlines. That means an extra half hour the pet will be stuck in its carrier while traveling. The American Animal Hospital Association recommends giving the pet a long exercise session before the trip.

All the major carriers allow specific small house pets to fly in the cabin, as long as the animal and its carrier fit under the passenger's seat. If the animal is too big, it is checked as baggage or shipped in the plane's temperature and pressure-controlled hull as cargo. In either circumstance, the airlines charge at least an additional $75 each way to fly the pet, and reservations for a pet need to be made in advance. Two to three days before the flight, passengers need to call the airlines and confirm the pet's reservations, too, Peach said.

And pet owners should be keeping an eye on any changes in airline policy, which could change suddenly if new threats are perceived. "In light of every thing that's happened since Sept. 11, we strongly urge pet owners to check with their airlines to see what the current regulations and restrictions might be with their pets," said Derek Woodbury, a spokesman for the American Animal Hospital Association.

The major carriers all have specific guidelines on pet travel on their Web sites. In general, they require that animals have food and water, have a veterinarian's certificate of health and current rabies vaccination no more than 10 days before the flight, fly in a carrier that has at least two sides open for ventilation and is big enough for the animal to stand up and turn around in.

Woodbury also advised pet owners to use the time with their veterinarian to discuss whether the pet is well-suited for travel, because that could also create problems for the pet and its owner. "Some animals don't do well in those surroundings," he said.

Article Source: hgtv.com
(Reach Tara Copp at coppt@shns.com or visit Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)