Traveling Overseas With Your Dog
I recently began investigating the idea of traveling to Europe with my two dogs and discovered that it's not always an easy thing to do, but it is possible, providing you do your research far in advance regarding shots, health requirements of the country you're visiting and the rules governing in-cabin pet travel with various transatlantic airline carriers.
The first thing I did was contact the embassy for the countries I was thinking of traveling to, namely England, Spain and France.
Although Spain and France are similar in requirements, i.
e.
EU ISOP subcutaneous microchip and rabies vaccination at least one month and not more than one year prior to arrival and a licensed vet certificate saying your dog is in good health, England, being an island, is quite different in its requirements.
Firstly, you need to know you're going to England at least 6-7 months in advance because the rabies shots require blood test work done to show that there is enough antibodies in your dog's blood at least six months prior to entering the United Kingdom.
You also will need a subcutaneous microchip (Euro ISOP) implanted into your dog, proof of treatment for fleas and tapeworm 24 to 48 hours prior to traveling as well as a certificate of good health.
Once inside the United Kingdom with your pet, you can go to a U.
K.
veterinarian and get a Pets Travel Scheme Passport (PETS) that is valid for travel to and from the United Kingdom as long as your pet's shots are up to date.
If you travel to the U.
K.
with your dog, remember that if you plan on going on to another European country with your pet, you must wait at least 21 days after arrival into the U.
K.
If you plan to move around the EU with your pets, you may want to consider getting a pet passport once you arrive in the EU.
The EU Pet Passport confirms your dog is in good health and has its shots up to date.
It is good in all European countries except the United Kingdom, which uses the Pet Travel Scheme Passport (PETS).
While all this seems like a lot of work to bring your pet to the United Kingdom, keep in mind it has only been a few years since they lifted their mandatory six month quarantine on pets entering the country.
With the new rules, you are really doing the quarantine period at home.
This includes the blood tests six months in advance of bringing your dog to the U.
K.
For more information on the requirements for entering the United Kingdom with your pet, go to www.
Defra.
gov.
uk Once you've mastered the requirements for bringing your pet into your destination country, you need to find a carrier that is approved to transport animals overseas.
This is not to be taken lightly.
In the last few years, airlines originating in Canada and going to the United Kingdom have stopped allowing in-cabin pet transport for small pets altogether.
You know, the ones in the little aerated bags that go under the seat.
This is likely as a result of numerous lawsuits against airlines like Air Canada by disgruntled allegedly allergic passengers.
You can still transport your pet to the United Kingdom from Canada, but it will have to travel as cargo, usually on the same flight as you, but underneath, in a specially kitted out area for pets that ensures the noise and temperature is comfortable for your pet.
Even though Canada doesn't have anymore direct flights to the U.
K.
offering in-cabinet pet travel, you can choose the alternative of a connecting scheduled flight.
For instance, both KLM and Lufthansa allows pets to travel in the cabin from Canada, but you will have to change planes in either of their respective hubs, Amsterdam (KLM) or Frankfurt (Lufthansa).
This is an option only if you don't feel comfortable stowing your pet as cargo.
Each airline carrier provides information on the size of dog crates allowed to travel in this special cargo hold.
Some airlines, Lufthansa being one of them, will allow two small dogs to travel together in one hard sided carrier, provided there's enough room to turn around and they aren't too cramped.
This may be a good idea as the experience may be harrowing for a single dog, but with the company of its sibling or mate, plus one of your old recently worn old t-shirts, they may have a more comfortable and relaxed journey to your destination.
You may even get away with a single fee for both of your dogs if the crate they're both traveling in is small enough.
After reviewing numerous airline carrier restrictions and guidelines for in-cabin pet travel, I've found Lufthansa to be the most generous in their sizing allowances.
I don't know why this is, maybe because little German dogs are bigger than other airline little dogs.
Kidding aside, I really think it's because Lufthansa wants to make pet travel a priority service, taking business away from other carriers and other European hubs like London.
Lufthansa recently opened a pet lounge in Frankfurt, catering to any kind of mammalian travel, from bunnies to elephants.
You can pick up your pet between flights upon arriving in Frankfurt, walk and water your dog in the pet lounge, then check them back onto the plane for your next destination.
Not only is Lufthansa the only carrier to offer anything even remotely resembling service for those traveling with pets, their fees for transporting pets are also less and more comely than other major airlines, charging approximately $100 U.
S.
per dog or cat per leg of travel in comparison to an average of $300 for transatlantic pet travel with other international carriers.
Under the seat in-cabin travel is really intended for only the smallest of pets like teacup Yorkies.
The rest really need to travel in a specially outfitted pet cargo hold in a hard sided carrier.
Sherpa Pet sells an aerated soft sided carrier that is approved by many international and North American carriers.
It's a soft-sided bag that comes in small, medium and large and compresses slightly to fit the guidelines set by the carriers, many having a height restriction of only eight inches.
For more information about Sherpa soft-sided carriers, go to www.
SherpaPet.
com Their website provides a list of airline carriers and their respective pet travel guidelines.
So traveling or moving with your pet overseas is possible and, if traveling to or through Lufthansa's pet lounge in Frankfurt, even somewhat pleasurable, but it just takes a bit of sleeve-rolling to find out everything you need in advance of making any bookings or travel arrangements.
The first thing I did was contact the embassy for the countries I was thinking of traveling to, namely England, Spain and France.
Although Spain and France are similar in requirements, i.
e.
EU ISOP subcutaneous microchip and rabies vaccination at least one month and not more than one year prior to arrival and a licensed vet certificate saying your dog is in good health, England, being an island, is quite different in its requirements.
Firstly, you need to know you're going to England at least 6-7 months in advance because the rabies shots require blood test work done to show that there is enough antibodies in your dog's blood at least six months prior to entering the United Kingdom.
You also will need a subcutaneous microchip (Euro ISOP) implanted into your dog, proof of treatment for fleas and tapeworm 24 to 48 hours prior to traveling as well as a certificate of good health.
Once inside the United Kingdom with your pet, you can go to a U.
K.
veterinarian and get a Pets Travel Scheme Passport (PETS) that is valid for travel to and from the United Kingdom as long as your pet's shots are up to date.
If you travel to the U.
K.
with your dog, remember that if you plan on going on to another European country with your pet, you must wait at least 21 days after arrival into the U.
K.
If you plan to move around the EU with your pets, you may want to consider getting a pet passport once you arrive in the EU.
The EU Pet Passport confirms your dog is in good health and has its shots up to date.
It is good in all European countries except the United Kingdom, which uses the Pet Travel Scheme Passport (PETS).
While all this seems like a lot of work to bring your pet to the United Kingdom, keep in mind it has only been a few years since they lifted their mandatory six month quarantine on pets entering the country.
With the new rules, you are really doing the quarantine period at home.
This includes the blood tests six months in advance of bringing your dog to the U.
K.
For more information on the requirements for entering the United Kingdom with your pet, go to www.
Defra.
gov.
uk Once you've mastered the requirements for bringing your pet into your destination country, you need to find a carrier that is approved to transport animals overseas.
This is not to be taken lightly.
In the last few years, airlines originating in Canada and going to the United Kingdom have stopped allowing in-cabin pet transport for small pets altogether.
You know, the ones in the little aerated bags that go under the seat.
This is likely as a result of numerous lawsuits against airlines like Air Canada by disgruntled allegedly allergic passengers.
You can still transport your pet to the United Kingdom from Canada, but it will have to travel as cargo, usually on the same flight as you, but underneath, in a specially kitted out area for pets that ensures the noise and temperature is comfortable for your pet.
Even though Canada doesn't have anymore direct flights to the U.
K.
offering in-cabinet pet travel, you can choose the alternative of a connecting scheduled flight.
For instance, both KLM and Lufthansa allows pets to travel in the cabin from Canada, but you will have to change planes in either of their respective hubs, Amsterdam (KLM) or Frankfurt (Lufthansa).
This is an option only if you don't feel comfortable stowing your pet as cargo.
Each airline carrier provides information on the size of dog crates allowed to travel in this special cargo hold.
Some airlines, Lufthansa being one of them, will allow two small dogs to travel together in one hard sided carrier, provided there's enough room to turn around and they aren't too cramped.
This may be a good idea as the experience may be harrowing for a single dog, but with the company of its sibling or mate, plus one of your old recently worn old t-shirts, they may have a more comfortable and relaxed journey to your destination.
You may even get away with a single fee for both of your dogs if the crate they're both traveling in is small enough.
After reviewing numerous airline carrier restrictions and guidelines for in-cabin pet travel, I've found Lufthansa to be the most generous in their sizing allowances.
I don't know why this is, maybe because little German dogs are bigger than other airline little dogs.
Kidding aside, I really think it's because Lufthansa wants to make pet travel a priority service, taking business away from other carriers and other European hubs like London.
Lufthansa recently opened a pet lounge in Frankfurt, catering to any kind of mammalian travel, from bunnies to elephants.
You can pick up your pet between flights upon arriving in Frankfurt, walk and water your dog in the pet lounge, then check them back onto the plane for your next destination.
Not only is Lufthansa the only carrier to offer anything even remotely resembling service for those traveling with pets, their fees for transporting pets are also less and more comely than other major airlines, charging approximately $100 U.
S.
per dog or cat per leg of travel in comparison to an average of $300 for transatlantic pet travel with other international carriers.
Under the seat in-cabin travel is really intended for only the smallest of pets like teacup Yorkies.
The rest really need to travel in a specially outfitted pet cargo hold in a hard sided carrier.
Sherpa Pet sells an aerated soft sided carrier that is approved by many international and North American carriers.
It's a soft-sided bag that comes in small, medium and large and compresses slightly to fit the guidelines set by the carriers, many having a height restriction of only eight inches.
For more information about Sherpa soft-sided carriers, go to www.
SherpaPet.
com Their website provides a list of airline carriers and their respective pet travel guidelines.
So traveling or moving with your pet overseas is possible and, if traveling to or through Lufthansa's pet lounge in Frankfurt, even somewhat pleasurable, but it just takes a bit of sleeve-rolling to find out everything you need in advance of making any bookings or travel arrangements.
Source...