I have a dog which i would like to take with me when i move back to Ukraine. I live in San Francisco. I’ve never traveled with pets before. What should i do to keep my dog safe? Can i take her with me on the plane? She’s a Labrador Shepperd mix and weights 50 pounds. I want my dog to be comfortable and safe. What should i do?
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Personally don’t trust airlines with this situation, never have an experience but I have hear bad stories, all I know they kind of sedate them and put them together with your bags,
There are several contacts you need to make.
1. Contact the embassy to determine requirements (vaccines, titers, health checks, microchipping, quarantine) for bringing a pet into the country.
2. Contact the airline you plan to travel with, to determine their requirements as well – and inquire about how travel will be for her. At 50 pounds, she almost certainly will have to be shipped in an area away from you. I’m sure anxiety will be present – and having a kennel for her that she’s already used to, as well as familiar items within it (an old t-shirt you slept in, her blanket, etc) may help to comfort her.
3. Contact your veterinarian to schedule a health check and any necessary care that is required by the embassy for importation and/or the airline. If she’s an anxious dog to begin with, you can ask the doctor about mild sedatives to help keep her relaxed throughout the trip – he/she will be able to guide you to the information you need in that category.
Good luck, and I hope both of you have a safe trip!!
ADD:
Even if it’s not a requirement (though most countries these days make it a prerequisite), I definitely recommend microchipping, as well as several other forms of identification. Label her collar and kennel both with tags of your name, contact information (telephone and address) of both your destination and an in-case-of-emergency contact and your destination airport (especially if layovers are involved). An envelope containing information about your dog, any health problems/requirements, and where you may be located, as well as proof of vaccines/health) can be secured to the kennel with packing tape to be removed in case you become separated.
There are many regulations regarding pet travel, especially international travel. You must meet the requirements of the US, the Ukraine, and the airline. This usually means current Rabies vaccinations, proper documentation, a proper kennel, etc. You will need to speak with the Airline you will be using (whether you want to take the dog with you on the flight or put him in Cargo), the USDA, and the consulate or embassy of the country you will be entering. For the USDA, you can find the best contact information here: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/
For the consulate or embassy, you can look here: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/ ( US Department of State website).
Hope that helps!
I have flown with my dogs allot from New york and florida to Germany.
The airlines discourage sedation due to it slows the dog’s system down too much. As a matter of fact they only allow sedation if your dog is know to be aggressive or over excited and even then you need a form filed out by your vet stating it is in the benefit of the animal to be sedated.
Also this time of year you need to have a form stating they are healthy to fly in cold temps (letter of acclamation).
No your dog is too large to fly in the plane with you so she would have to go in the pet cabin under the plane, but do not worry while there is no room heating the floor of the pet cabin is heated and the room is pressurized.
One of the things I do is when I am waiting in the boarding area I ask the staff to call down to baggage area (as they have talkie talkies) and ask how my pet is doing. This helps to make the staff aware that I am flying with my dogs. I also will inform the stewardess as I board the plane that I am flying with a dog(s) so that they double check the flight manifest.
As far as which airline is safer to fly with I use north west, Condor or Lufthansa I have also flown Delta but they just raised their pet Flying rates so high 500.00 per animal no matter what size fly box the dog is in .