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023. Travel and International Travel. |
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Articles / TULARC / Dogs / Assorted Topics / | |
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023. Travel and International Travel. |
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This article is from the rec.pets.dogs: Assorted Topics, posted to rec.pets.dogs newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
You can often take your dog with you when you travel, either domestic travel or even international travel. There are some helpful books out there that list which hotels, motels, etc. accept dogs. These include
Touring with Towser, Quaker foods, publisher. Editions put out every other year. Write to 585 Hawthorne Court, Galesburg IL 61401 with a check or money order for $3 made out to Quaker Professional Services. 64 page directory.
Pets Allowed. A directory of places to stay nation (USA) wide. $10 from Modern Systems Computing, 9 Greenmeadow Dr. #FD, N. Billerica, MA 01862-1921.
Pets R Permitted. A directory of places to stay nation (USA wide. $11 from PO Box-3930-I, Torrance, CA 90510-3930.
Take Your Pet USA: A Guide of Accommodations for Pets and Their Owners. Artco Publishing, 1990, 446 pages, ISBN 0-9626885-0-9, $9.95. It lists the address, phone number, any pet restrictions, if there's an exercise area for pets, if pet can be left unattended in room, local attractions, lodging rates and a few local vet offices.
Travelling with Your Pet. Described as "a cross-Canada directory of hotels and motels that welcome pets," it's also full of helpful tips on what to do when travelling with a pet. The guide is updated annually. The price is $6.95 (CND) plus tax. Write to: Travelling with Your Pet 43 Railside Road Don Mills Ontario, Canada M3A 3L9. You can call them (from Canada) at 416-441-3228 or send them a fax at 416-441-3212.
The web site http://www.travelweb.com/ allows you to specify search criteria including whether pets are allowed.
By the way: BE SURE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG! Especially when travelling -- many hotels begin to refuse dogs after continually finding dog feces all over their lawns, etc afterwards. Get a pooper-scooper or a plain plastic bag and clean up after your pooch! Those following you afterwards will thank you.
Car
Most dogs love travelling in the car. Some are fearful, others are prone to carsickness. Any dog travelling in a car should be restrained in some manner, both for its safety and yours. Dogs can travel in carriers, probably the best option. There are available barriers which can keep your dog in the back seat (this works especially well with station wagon type of cars). There are restraining leashes available. Riding in the back of a truck is just asking for trouble, as the dog will almost always be killed if it is thrown from the truck in even a minor accident. There are also restraining leashes for dogs in open pick-up truck beds. Some states have laws against dogs riding in the back of a pick-up.
Car sickness, fear
Try just sitting in the back seat and just talking and playing with your dog, assure it over a few of these sitting-in sessions that there is nothing to be afraid of. Then do a couple of slow trips, just around the block, no more. Then to the local park or beach, so your dog starts to get the idea that car trips lead to "fun" places too. Finally, try slowing down some more for those corners since side to side movements in a car are the most common cause of motion sickness. Opening a window or turning on the car fan may help some dogs.
Do not sympathize with the dog or try to soothe it. While car-sickness isn't quite the same as being afraid of riding in the car, it could conceivably be brought on by such a fear. If that is the case, doing anything that the pup can possibly interpret as praise can be counterproductive. It will teach it that this fear is the desired behavior. If the car sickness if brought on by such fear and it is, inadavertantly, taught that the fear is desired behavior, the car sickness will continue.
Travelling by plane
For (US) $1, the American Dog Owners Association, 1654 Columbia Turnpike, Castleton, NY 12033, publishes a booklet, Update: Airline Transportation, about air travel with your pet. More than worth the cost.
The May/June, 1990 issue of Golden Retriever News (published by the Golden Retriever Club of America) had an article on airline transportation of dogs. Many of the comments should be common sense -- such as having the proper crates and bedding, choosing non-stop flights where possible, allowing plenty of check-in time, etc. The article goes on to say that the ratings are based on serious problems reported between July 1988 and July 1989, and that air travel is generally safe for animals, with a mortality rate of less than one tenth of one percent.
One pet is allowed in each cabin. Thus, if there is one First Class, one Business class and one Tourist class cabin, three pets are allowed. This can be modified if the pets are house mates - two people who are traveling with their two pets, then the pets can be in the same cabin. A cabin is a section that can be closed off from view from the other sections either with a door or a curtain.
As for specific airlines: USAir has one of the best reputations in shipping animals. They routinely check up on the animals, and ask the owners to call a specific number after each landing the plane makes to contact an individual who can check on the animals. Continental has the worst reputation, having had several dogs die in their planes. A particularly horrible incident in the summer of 1991 involved five samoyeds, three of whom died of heat prostration despite the pleas of the passengers and owners, who could hear the dogs barking in the cargo area. Other airlines have varying reputations. In general a direct flight is safest.
There is a pamphlet from Northwest Airlines called "Priority Pet." It explains Northwest's methods of pet transport --- it was encouraging to see an airline show explicit concern for this issue. Northwest asks owners to attach two bowls and a supply of food to the outside of the kennel in order that the animal may be fed and watered (presumably by Northwest personnel). The caveats and conditions are enlightening to read.
Other references: The Conde' Nast Traveler (June 1992) has an article on pets and planes, including information on which carriers have been fined for violations of animal transportation laws.
Tips when travelling by plane:
* Buy flight insurance. It's not much if something actually happens to your dog, but stay away from airlines that won't insure their own transportation of animals! Cost is typically $20 for $5000 coverage.
* Some airlines are more highly recommended than others. Delta is frequently praised, Continental frequently condemned. Whichever airline you use, always arrange a direct flight.
* Many airlines will sell you crates for extremely good prices. If you need a crate, buy one here.
* Get all vaccinations up to date two weeks before the flight, and take the records with you if you're also going. Otherwise, add your vet's name and phone number to the information on the crate. Parvo boosters and "kennel cough" (bordetella) vaccinations are especially recommended.
* Make reservations early. Most planes have room for three dogs or less per flight.
* Write your name and phone number on the crate with a permanent marker. Attached paper is frequently gone by the time the crate arrives. Also write name and phone number of person to contact upon arrival on a piece of duct tape on the crate.
* Solid plastic or metal crates are preferable to the wire crates. They keep more things out of the crate than the wire ones do. Make sure there is a rim around the edge that prevents adjacent boxes from covering up the air holes.
International Travel
Paperwork
Most states/provinces/regions require a health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination for pets crossing boundary lines. Most airlines will require this regardless of where you go within the country. Any dog that is travelling somewhere else should have a copy of its medical history, especially its vaccinations with it.
Quarantines
Australia
Dogs may enter freely from the UK (and other countries with quarantines). Pets from countries where rabies is "well-controlled" (eg, U.S., Canada) can have quarantines as short as 30 days, as long as rabies titers are done at least 180 days ahead of time. Otherwise it depends on the area from which the dog has travelled. For example, dogs entering from rabies-free Singapore are not subject to the quarantine, however they must be fitted with the microchip detailing vaccination history and are required to undergo blood testing prior to and after entering Australia to be certain of their rabies free status. The same laws also now apply to New Zealand.
Britain
A 6 month quarantine for all animals. Write to British Information Services for the necessary applications and paperwork: 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022; Tel: (212) 752-5747 and Fax: (212) 758-5395.
Europe
Sweden has a four month quarantine; Finland has a quarantine of 3 [?] months. Most European countries do not have a quarantine or only require proof of vaccinations.
Hawaii
Because Hawaii is a rabies free state, there is a mandatory 30 day quarantine for dogs, cats, and other animals. If the animals meet all the requirements for the 30-day qarantine (which includes proof of vaccinations, permanent ID, blood tests and health records), then the owners will pay $210 per dog plus about $100 in fees for tests, etc. The 30 day quarantine has been in effect since May of 1997, down from a four month quarantine previously in effect. More detailed information and microchip order forms are available by mail from the Hawaii Agriculture Department's Division of Animal Industry: 99-941 Halawa Valley Street, Aiea, HI 96701, (808) 483-7100, FAX (808) 483-7110.
Due to a settlement of a class action lawsuit on behalf of those using guide dogs, it is expected that in the Sprint of 1998, guide dogs will be exempt from Hawaii's quarantine so long as they comply with certain vaccination, antibody, and microchip requirements.
North America
Canada requires up to date vaccinations, in particular the Rabies vaccination. You must have proof of vaccination with you when bringing the dog into the country, but other than that, there is no quarantine. Canada has a 4 month quarantine, except from the US, where rabies vaccination documentation is sufficient.
South America
No quarantines, but the animal must be up-to-date on vaccinations.
Other Countries
In most cases, quarantines are not required, but current vaccination records, recent health checks and so on are required. Always contact teh embassy of the country in question for accurate details. Calling the airlines can also help you get referred to the right party for asking questions.
Some online information: France
Shipping
You may find yourself shipping a dog, for various reasons. Most people simply ship them as cargo on an airline. This works best when the flight is a non-stop, and neither the start- or end-point is at risk of too high or too low temperatures. There is at least one company that ships dogs. This is
Pet Transfer (world wide door to door pet moving service) 714-660-9390 (USA) [There may be an 800 , but I do not have it.]
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