Keep Your Pet Safe During Air Travel

In light of the recent tragedy, a devastating death of a pet on an airline, AHS would like to share some important safety tips for air travel with pets.

AHS recommends avoiding airline travel with your furry friend unless they are small enough to ride under your seat. If you must fly with your pets, here are a few pet safety tips:

  • Be direct: Book a direct flight whenever possible.
  • Research: Understand all restrictions and requirements to travel with your pet on an airline.
  • Check up: Make an appointment with your veterinarian to make sure your pet is healthy for travel and obtain proper documents, medication, and food for the duration of the trip.
  • Crate: Purchase a safe, airplane-approved crate large enough for your pet to sit, stand, and turn around in.
  • Mark it: Identify there is a “live animal” inside along with your name, cell phone, destination phone number, and photo of your pet.
  • Communicate: Notify airline members that your pet is travelling with you either in the cabin or in cargo.
  • Timing: Be mindful of the time of year and choose flights that will be safe regardless of temperature. Often times, airlines have restrictions on flying pets in cargo when extreme temperatures set in.
  • Speak: If you see something, say something. Our animals cannot speak for themselves and rely on us to speak for them, so please speak up if something does not seem right!

It is also extremely important to note that air travel can be particularly dangerous for brachycephalic breeds, or animals with short noses, such as Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian cats. Their short nasal passages leave them especially vulnerable to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke.

Pet Behavior and Safety Tips

March 14, 2018
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