How to put your mind at ease when combining air travel and dogs
When there is an occasion for dog owner to travel overseas and the journey involves taking a pet dog, owners want answers to certain questions such as:
When a dog has to stay confined on a long layover, would the owner be able to time out to visit?
If your dog is kept in a cargo hold which has been specially adapted to keep it comfortable, are the airline staff fully trained Cargo Agents?
The question about cargo agents is a sensible one, as they should be trained to look after animals and are fully conversant in animal health care.
Trained staff will prepare dog food, make sure that your dog is drinking enough fresh water and make them as comfortable as possible.
However, owners of dogs are asked to provide a bag of food which will be attached to the dog crate.
If there is an emergency situation, the staff are allowed by law to take a dog out of the cargo crate; otherwise they stay where they are.
If a plane is not able to take off, a pet dog will be able to travel on the next plane; a dog that has missed a connecting flight will be on board the next connecting flight.
To reduce any onset of stress, a dog will be the last on board a plane and on reaching a destination will the first to be unloaded.
All of the crew on board including the captain will be notified that there is a pet dog or any other animal travelling on board the plane.
Top tip: Make sure your dog has an up to date health certificate, as a dog staying for longer than 10 days when reaching his destination will require another health certificate.
