Travel Specialists Can Help Reduce Stress, Anxiety of Moving For Your Pets

Experts agree that relocation is one of the top three causes of stress in individuals and families. Not surprisingly, when pets are an added consideration, the anxiety levels can raise even higher.

While there are many well-known resources available to help with a major move, most people are unaware of pet relocation specialists. Happy Tails Travel, a Tucson, Arizona-based company, has been specializing in worldwide pet travel services for nearly 10 years.

Pet travel is regulated by several areas, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Animals must be handled according to specific rules under the Animal Welfare Act and the International Air Transportation Association’s (IATA) live animal regulations. Most people are unaware of these restrictions, and oftentimes find out too late that they have not properly prepared their pet for travel.

There are many factors to be considered in determining the necessary preparations for your pet, including destination, airline, type of pet, size, and time of year. However, all pets will require, at a minimum:

• Veterinarian-issued health certificates.
• To be placed in an airline-approved carrier large enough for the animal to move without restriction.
• Access to water.
• Airline-mandated carrier preparations, which can vary from airline to airline.

If small enough, your pets may be able to travel in the cabin with you. However, oftentimes this isn’t the case. A majority of pets travel unaccompanied without a passenger, and travel in the very specialized cargo area of the aircraft. It is climate controlled, pressurized, oxygenated, well lit, and away from luggage and dangerous goods. Most airlines also have tracking systems that enable you to follow your pet during the trip.

While some vets recommend sedating pets prior to travel, the Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA), an international network of pet shippers, generally opposes tranquilizing pets. “Tranquilizing drugs decrease respiratory functions,” says Dr. Woolf, veterinarian and owner of Air Animal, Inc., in Tampa, FL.

Another consideration is the time of year. Most family moves and relocations occur between May and August. However, this is when the travel industry makes it most challenging to move pets. With the right pet travel specialist, obstacles to pet travel can be eliminated safely and efficiently.

The best way to ensure your pet travel is handled to the highest standards is to use the resources of an IPATA-certified pet travel specialist. Through the organization’s domestic and international network, your pet travel specialist can arrange reservations; ground transportation to and from the airport; proper documentation; transfer to and from kennels and veterinarians; and procurement of proper pet carriers. Your travel specialist can also help with pre-travel advice and support on preparing your pet for the journey.

Happy Tails Travel has successfully shipped more than 3,000 pets throughout 20 countries. The company serves a variety of clients, and has shipped dogs, cats, gerbils, ferrets, birds and reptiles using a network of more than 20 airlines around the globe.

For more information on pet travel, call 1-800-323-1718, or visit online at HappyTailsTravel.com.