It’s an exciting time of year with the holidays around the corner. One of the best things about this time is that we get to take some time off to decompress and travel with our families. Sometimes, our pets even get to come with us on planes (if they’re small enough). For those of you who have pets that need to travel in crates, we thought it might be helpful to share some of our favorite safety tips for travelling with pets.
- Label your pet’s crate properly.
Make sure your pet’s crate says “LIVE ANIMAL” on it so personnel can be sure to handle with care. Also, be sure to include your contact information and a picture of your pet should your pet get lost. This could help easily reunite the two of you. We would even recommend including information like your dog’s weight, and any distinguishable features that might help someone identify them, like the color of their collar or a spot on their eye.
- Try to avoid connecting flights.
This prevents unnecessary worrying that your pet may be left behind, lost, or mishandled turning layovers. If you can fly direct, we recommend you do so for your furry friend’s safety and your peace of mind.
- Get a USDA- approved crate.
The crate you buy should have enough room for your pet to stand and turn around in. Also, consider lining the crate with a bed and/or newspaper to absorb any potential accidents during travelling. Make sure you securely close the crate, but do not lock it. You want personnel to be able to open it in case of emergency.
- Provide your dog with food, water and a leash.
It’s always a good idea to tape a small bag of food to the top of your pet’s crate in case of a layover so airline personnel can feed them. We also recommend you provide your pet with water during the flight. A good way to do this is to freeze a bowl of water and put it in their crate. This will help prevent any spilling during boarding, but will give the water sufficient time to melt for drinking on the plane. We also suggest you include a leash in the crate as well, so if your dog needs to be taken out for a potty break, airline personnel can do so. Just make sure the leash is bundled up and not loose in the crate which can be a choking hazard.