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PET TRAVELLERS

cats
Pet travel has become easy - and in many cases very comfortable!

Road travel for a dog is unlikely to be jammed on the floor among the kids' feet. He is much
more likely to have the entire rear of a modern station wagon or four wheel drive vehicle - air conditioned of course. Car manufacturers are starting to realise just how many family outings include a dog and one manufacturer has recently released a model built with the family pooch in mind.

For the safety of the dog and passengers in the case of an accident, the dog should be confined or restricted in movement in the car. In wagons a 'dog guard' should be installed and firmly secured. In sedans, small breeds are best transported in crates or carry boxes which are secured with the seat belt. Large breeds on the seat of a sedan can be secured with a body harness which clicks into the seat belt plugs - marketed as dog seat-belts. Never tether a dog with a check chain or collar and lead as sudden braking or an accident may result in a severely injured neck. Dogs in the back of utilities or trucks should be secured to prevent them jumping off or being thrown off if the vehicle stops suddenly.

Cats should always be confined in a crate when travelling in a car as they are more easily
frightened. Air travel is still the quickest, and probably the least tiring way, to transport dogs and cats interstate. Flying large dog breeds as unaccompanied freight can be quite expensive but some airlines allow a passenger to take the dog as passenger baggage and in the case of the larger dogs this is a may be a much cheaper way to ship the dog.

Airlines have restrictions on the number of dogs and cats that can be carried on any flight so prebooking the pet is definitely necessary. The pet will be required to be checked in a minimum of one hour before scheduled flight departure time. The pet must be confined in a crate which meets airline standards. Crates for shipping may be hired. The airlines will recommend hire companies and again the hire of the crate needs to be arranged well in advance of the shipping date. Crates must be secure, they must have a waterproof tray and absorbent material must be in the bottom of the crate.

Shipping dogs and cats to overseas destinations requires permission from both the Australian Government and the government in the destination country. Australia has restrictions on exporting puppies under ten weeks old. Most countries will require health documents and some of these may take months to obtain. Dogs and cats will not be allowed to be shipped without the necessary documentation or they may be refused entry at their destination.

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Services in Canberra, or State offices, have information on the requirements for most countries. It is also necessary to obtain a permit to import a dog into Australia, and the pet will be required to be quarantined when entering from all destinations except New Zealand.

So many animals are shipped each week that an industry has built up around them. There are companies which will pick up your animal from home, arrange all necessary health checks and permits, organise the crate, ship the animal and even deliver it to its final destination. Obviously they make a profit, but due to negotiated freight charges with the airlines, use of their own crates etc the costs may not be much greater than doing it yourself. The world of the pet has become a much smaller place with the ease of travel for both pets and owners.

Further Information
  Pet Services - Animal Transport



Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia

Last Update: 21/02/08 09:50 Views: 7676

OzPetShop - Pet Products, Supplies and Accessories