BringYourPet.com

Do you daydream of walks on the beach with your pooch? Long for grandma to meet the latest four-legged addition to the family? Having your pet tag along on a flight with you to your vacation destination may be the answer.

Anyone who has booked a flight knows about the hassles that go along with it. Like the fleas that come with the dog, it only gets worse when you add your pet to the mix. Only careful planning will help you avoid the pitfalls of flying with a pet.

Before all else, the health of your beloved pet has to be taken into consideration. Not all pets are able to withstand the strain of airline flight. In order to fly, an animal must be at least eight weeks old and completely weaned. Also, animals that are pregnant, elderly, or have health problems such as heart or kidney disease may not be able to withstand the stress of a flight. Some short-faced breeds may also have respiratory difficulties due to the cabin pressurization. The use of tranquilizers is generally not recommended because the effects of sedation are unpredictable at high altitudes.

The best way to assure that your pet is ready to fly is to make an appointment with your veterinarian. While there, update all shots and obtain a current health certificate. The certificate needs to be issued no more than 7 to 10 days before your flight date depending on the airline and your final destination. If your stay will be longer then ten days, another health certificate may be required for the return flight home.

Some foreign countries and the state of Hawaii have strict regulations regarding imported animals. A specific type of health certificate may be required, so be sure to contact your vet well in advance. In addition to the health certificate, some countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, require all animals be quarantined upon arrival. Contact the consulate or embassy of your destination country for their specific requirements and regulations.

When scheduling your flight, try to find an airline that not only accepts pets, but is taking steps to assure more humane, safer, and comfortable travel for your pet. Although there are some federal guidelines through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), pet policies are at the discretion of the individual airlines.

Most pet friendly airlines will allow pets in the cabin; however, there are several restrictions. The animal must fit in a USDA approved crate that will fit under the seat in front of you and must remain there for the duration of the flight. Your pet will count as one of the two allowed carry-on items and normally only two pets are allowed in cabin on a flight. Reserve a space for your pet with the airlines early. Keep in mind that no matter how your pet flies, there will most likely be an extra charge.

Larger animals will need to fly either as accompanied baggage on your flight or as cargo on a separate flight. If your pet will be flying as accompanied baggage on your flight, be sure to choose a direct flight. If a direct flight is not possible, choose a flight with the shortest lay-over time. If you must travel on a flight that has a long layover, ask about getting the dog off the plane at the intermediate airport, to take it for a short walk, and then re-board.

When reserving your flight be sure to choose an airline that hand-carries animals and does not put them on a conveyor belt. Try to avoid busy travel times such as weekends and holidays. Extreme hot or cold temperatures can be avoided by choosing morning or evening flights in the summer and mid-afternoon flights in the winter. Airlines will not transport animals in temperatures less then 45 degrees unless they are accompanied by a certificate signed by a veterinarian stating that they are acclimated to lower temperatures.

Cages and other shipping containers must meet the minimum standard for size, ventilation, strength, sanitation and design for safe handling (Sky kennels furnished by the airlines meet these requirements). Whether traveling in the cabin or the cargo area, the animal must fit comfortably in its travel crate and be able to stand up, lie down, and turn around in the crate.

Be sure to reconfirm with the airline 24-48 hours before departure that you will be bringing an animal. This is important, since each airplane can transport only a limited number of animals.

USDA requires that your pet be offered food and water within four hours before check-in with the airline. Do not over-feed your pet at this time. A full stomach is not good for a traveling pet. When you check in with the airline, you must certify with a signature the time when your pet was last offered food and water.

Get to the airport with plenty of time to spare so that there will be no rush. If your animal is traveling as excess baggage or by the special expedited delivery service, check-in will usually be at the passenger terminal. If you are sending your pet through the cargo system, you will need to go to the air freight terminal, which is located in a separate part of the airport. Be sure to check with your airline for the acceptance cutoff time for your flight.

It is a good idea to carry a leash with you on a trip so that you may walk your pet before check-in and after arrival. (Do not keep the leash with the animal, either inside or attached to the outside of the kennel.)

Do not take your pet out of its kennel inside the airport. In keeping with airport regulations and out of courtesy for other passengers, you should let your pet out only after you leave the terminal building.

You should clearly mark the kennel with your pet's name. In addition to showing your name and address, as required by USDA, you must mark the kennel with the telephone number of a person at the destination who can be contacted about your pet. This is especially important if you are sending your animal unaccompanied through the cargo system, because you will not be at the airport to claim your pet upon arrival. It may be helpful to contact a pet travel service to handle an unaccompanied shipment, since these services manage pick-up and delivery and can advise on quarantine requirements for international travel.

If your animal is traveling in the cargo system, remember that after arriving at their destination, there is a processing period for cargo, which may vary by airline and airport.

Even after all this planning and work, remember that advance arrangements do not guarantee that your animal will travel on a specific flight. To be as humane as possible, airlines reserve the right to refuse to handle an animal for such reasons as illness or poor kenneling of the animal or extreme temperatures at origin, transfer or destination airports. Finally, airlines must assure that facilities are able to handle animals at the airports of transfer or final destination. USDA has set clear guidelines on allowable temperature limits for animal-holding areas, which airlines must obey.

If your pet will be riding in the cabin with you, the animal will need to be presented to the security checkpoint screeners for screening. You may walk your animal through the metal detector with you. If this is not possible, your animal will have to undergo a secondary screening, including a visual and physical inspection. Your animal will never be placed through an X-ray machine. You may be asked to remove your animal from its carrier so that the carrier can be placed on the X-Ray machine.

Please report any observations of animal mistreatment by airline personnel to:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal Care Staff, APHIS-REAC-AC
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737
301-734-7833

Gatlinburg Cabins Pet Lover's Special

BringYourPet.com has joined forces with Gatlinburg Cabins to offer you a great weekend special on their beautiful cabin, Jewel of the Smokies. Rent this gorgeous three bedroom cabin anytime between 3/22/07 - 3/26/07, and Gatlinburg Cabins will waive your pet fee, a $50 savings.

To view this cabin, please visit:
http://www.bringyourpet.com/lodging/tn/tn100.htm

Or visit Gatlinburg Cabins at:
http://www.tncabin.com

Please mention code BYP50JS when booking this cabin

New Book Helps Hotels Increase Profits by Becoming Pet Friendly

Due to the demand for accurate, actionable information about becoming a pet friendly hotel, BringYourPet.com recently released the book, "Making Your Property Pet Friendly: A How-To Guide."

"Making Your Property Pet Friendly: A How-To Guide" escorts readers through the process of becoming pet friendly from beginning to end. Months of research, hours of interviews and miles of fieldwork with current pet friendly properties helped to shape this essential how-to guide that is the backbone of any pet friendly program...

Follow this link:
http://www.bringyourpet.com/pfguide.htm

"Making Your Property Pet Friendly: A How-To Guide" is available in hardcopy and downloadable version.

Property Spotlight - Jewel of The Smokies

Jewel of the Smokies is a gorgeous 3 bedroom (loft-style), 3 bath cabin, in Pigeon Forge, TN. This incredible cabin is comfortably furnished to accommodate a large group including those who wish to bring their favorite family members, their beloved pets, with them.

The Embassy Suites Parsippany, a New Jersey hotel near New York City, is a premier destination for business or leisure travelers desiring a full-service luxury New York hotel close to the action of New York City.

The Assisi Animal Foundation is a nonprofit no-kill and cageless animal shelter in operation since 1988, currently caring for 250 dogs and cats in Crystal Lake, IL (50 miles NW of Chicago, IL, USA). We also organize educational trips to Africa/India. We have an outreach program taking dogs and cats to nursing homes for "Pet Therapy." We also take the animals to schools to expose youngsters to the proper selection, care and love of animals. We rely mostly on private donations for our funding and get no government funding. Donations to our work are encouraged.

Contact Information:
Email: info@assisi.org
Website: www.assisi.org
Phone: 815-455-9411
Address: PO Box 143, Crystal Lake, IL 60039

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