Pet transporting by car is usually the easiest way for a family, since there really are no restrictions on when and how you can transport your pet. However, it is best to take a look at your dog or cat and consider pet carrier options when travelling, even by car. Remember, if you make your children wear a seatbelt in the case of an accident, you would want the same safety for your cat or dog. Many modern cat and dog carriers are equipped with latches that can be hooked into car safety belts and attachments. This way, in the case of an accident, your pet is secured, as a child would be in a car seat.
Travelling by air is one of the other most common, and easiest, forms of pet transport. There are always regulations when flying, so you must take these into consideration before booking your flight with your pet. Many times, major airlines will allow passengers to have their pets accompany them onboard as long as they maintain a weight of about ten pounds and are small enough to fit in a pet carrier that will fit underneath the airline seat, as any small carry on bag. Often, major airlines will have regulations such as only two carry-on pets per flight. Additionally, as a measure of safety, the FAA will not allow airlines to fly pets when it is too hot or too cold. Many larger pets must remain in the baggage area of the airplane, therefore when it is too hot or cold, it could be dangerous to the welfare of the pet.
An important factor to consider before flying with your animal is the idea of sedation. Many people find whining children to be a bother on a flight, but many more will not tolerate a whining animal. Therefore, many travelers may consider sedating their pet before traveling. However, before doing so, a little research is recommended. The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) claims that sedating a pet before air travel may prove fatal. A combination of factors is involved such as the stress of travel, the altitude and air pressure, and even an adverse reaction to the sedative.
There are many factors that can and will affect how safely and effectively you can transport your pet, so it is always wise to discuss these issues with your pet’s veterinarian before the trip. Many families love their pet as part of the family therefore each and every precaution should be taken to ensure the comfort and well-being of your pet. When not done correctly, any type of pet transport can be dangerous or detrimental, so always conduct additional research for the correct way of going about it!
Where can I find safety statistics?
At a meeting between USDA and airline officials, the AVMA learned that oversedation is the most frequent cause of animal deaths during airline transport. Though very few of the thousands of animals transported during the past five years have died while being transported, investigations revealed that almost half the deaths results from sedation. The second most frequent cause of death was environmental stress, especially in brachycephalic (pug and snub nose) breeds. Third in frequency were disease complications from coronavirus, parvovirus and respiratory diseases that were not evident during examination, but had a sudden, debilitating onset with the stress of transport at high altitude. Least common, in fact, rare, were deaths caused by mishandling by the carriers.
JAVMA, Vol. 207, No. 6, September 15, 1995
Our members, as professionals, also serve the employee relocation market. As such, much of their business is repeat business for the same corporation and, often, for the same employees when they return to the U.S. When one of our members was asked about the availability of statistics, their comments was that they personally ship over 1000 pets a year; if it was not safe, they would not be in business.
As far as we know, no one body or organization currently has statistics on the number of animal incidents during air transport. However, this will change in the very near future as one of the stipulations of the Lautenburg Bill was that the airline industry and USDA need to develop a system of reporting animal incidents during transport. As soon as a central information point has been identified, it will be included on this site.