Some pet travelers will see new air travel rates beginning June 15, United Cargo has announced, so travelers planning to use PetSafe animal transportation services (United's specialized pet program) should check with the airline ahead of time to find out how much they should expect to pay.

Rates for some routes (including those going from the United States to Japan and other Pacific destinations) will decrease, while routes from the U.S. to Guam and Micronesia will increase. According to United, the changes are a result of "recent market evaluations" and the desire to offer competitive pricing.

Says United: "A key benefit of United Cargo's PetSafe is the use of climate-controlled vans to transport our four-legged customers between their flight and our facility safely and comfortably. United Cargo employs more of these specially-designed vans than any other carrier. Also, we recently opened our newest on-site PetSafe kennel facility at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. United operates similar kennels at our airport facilities in Houston and Newark, and these kennels provide the ultimate in care and comfort for animals traveling on United Airlines."

Visit United.com for more information about PetSafe routes and fees, feel free to contact PetRelocation with any questions about pet travel, and keep in touch for more pet travel updates.

 

Name: Chris
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Mixed but predominately Australian Shepard
From: Brazil
To: USA

I cannot find firm requirements on what documentation is required to transport my dog from Brazil to the USA as checked baggage.

I know that i need a health certificate from my Brazilian vet, but have also been told that I need approval from the Ministerío of Agricultura. I can not find this requirement on the MoA website so I am unclear on the accuracy of that requirement.

Can anyone help to point me in the direction of the requirements?

Thanks,

Chris
 

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the question. Take a look at the pet import requirements for the United States for an overview of what you'll need to do. The most important things to have for entry into the US are an updated rabies vaccine and the international health certificate, as you stated. We also recommend carefully choosing a pet friendly airline.

Please let us know if you have more questions, and if you'd like a free quote for our services you can fill out this form. Good luck, and we'd be happy to hear from you again!

Name: Leah
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Border Collie Mix
From: Denver, USA
To: Singapore

How can I transport my dog from the US to Singapore in July?

Thanks,

Leah

 

Hi Leah,

The steps for moving your dog to Singapore from the United States are outlined here. You'll need to have your dog microchipped if not already, update the required vaccines (paying close attention to the rabies vaccine procedure in particular), and secure a vet health certificate within 10 days of departure. Since Singapore imposes a quarantine, you'll also need to make those arrangements well in advance.

International pet travel can be confusing, so be sure to allow plenty of time to plan and don't hesitate to seek assistance. Many people decide to enlist professional help when moving a pet, and we'd be happy to tell you more about our door-to-door services if you're interested. Here is a link to our free quote form if you'd like a cost estimate.

Contact us if you have more questions, check out our Facebook page to meet some of the pets we've moved, and good luck with everything!

PetRelocation belongs to an international network of pet shipping specialists called IPATA (the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association), which means we are able to meet and share information with some of the world's best service providers in our field. 

Last week we attended a regional IPATA meeting in Dallas, TX (that's just a few hours away from our Austin headquarters), and there we were able to get to know a few of our colleagues a little bit better. In fact, a few of them were so interested in what we do that they decided to prolong their time in Texas and come down to our office for a visit. Today Manuel Leunda from Las Lunas in Argentina and Simon Jackson from Dogtainers in Australia were kind enough to spend some time with us for a "Lunch & Learn."

Manuel is actually the current president of IPATA, and he updated us on all the latest pet shipping news and plans for expansion in South America. Simon is the IPATA Treasurer, and he answered our questions about Australia import rules and how they may be changing in the coming years. The world of pet travel is busy, complex and dynamic, so we were happy to have the chance to catch up with these friendly experts. It's always beneficial to have face-to-face meetings with people we normally do business with by phone and email, and we love showing off the great city of Austin to out of town guests, as well.

Thanks to Manuel and Simon for stopping by and giving us great overviews of the important work they do. Thanks also to Kyle Freeman from VIP Sitters in Canada, who stopped by last Friday to say hello. Come back anytime, y'all!

 

Lunch & Learn with fellow IPATA members

 

Booking flights, navigating country requirements, and talking to agents and clients around the world are activities all in a day's work for our dedicated Pet Relocation Specialists, and by now their heads are filled with so much knowledge that last week they decided to stage a friendly competition to see who in fact knows the most.

The first ever PetRelocation Trivia Extravaganza was organized by Specialists Tyler and Rebecca, and after a couple hours of heated pet transportation-themed face-offs, the night was deemed a great success. "It was so much fun," said Tyler. "The most memorable moment was listening to our agents voices from around the world and watching people try to figure out who was speaking."

Not only were players quizzed on import requirements, dog breeds, and country rules, they found themselves trying to decipher audio clips featuring our far-flung agents and even got to answer some fun bits of trivia, too.

Here are a few sample quiz questions:

-What are the exact dimensions of a size 200 kennel? (Answer: 27x20x19 inches)

-Name an international United hub. (Possible Answers: Guam, Narita)

-What is the name of the dog in The NeverEnding Story? (Answer: Falkor)

-What does CITES stand for? (Answer: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)

-How many total children do PetRelocation employees have? (Answer: 13)

 

Well done, pet shippers! Way to start off the year on a playfully productive note.

 

The Quizmasters

 

The Teams

 

The Ultimate Winners

 

 

 

Can you believe that 2012 is almost over? As the new year approaches it's natural to reflect on the events of the last few months, lingering on the highlights and also calculating what lessons have been learned.

The world of pet travel has certainly offered plenty of opportunities for better understanding and growth, as things are always moving and changing.

Read on to find some of the top stories from our year—they should come in handy for pet travelers moving forward into 2013.

 

1. Pet safety Tips Inspired by Hurricane Sandy

 

2. Seeking Safety in the Skies: How to Minimize the Risks of Pet Travel

 

3. The PetRelocation.com Third Annual Summer Pet Travel Survey

 

4. Don't Rush It: Why It's Smart to Allow at least 30 Days to Plan a Pet Move

 

5. How to Mentally Prepare for Pet Travel: Be Flexible

 

6. Quick Tips for Safe Summer Pet Shipping

 

7. Seeking Help with a Pet Move: The Top Reasons People Hire Pet Transport Services

 

8. How to Prepare for an International Pet Move: Official USDA Information

 

9. The Five Most Frequently Asked Pet Travel Questions

 

10. Relocating Pets in a Digital World: Making Good Use of Social Media

 

 

 

Last week we helped a pet owner move her two cats from the United States to Oslo, Norway. She happened to be on the same plane as her felines (usually this isn't the case since we're handling the logistics -- human travelers can schedule their flights whenever they please), and as they departed from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the owner actually caught a few pictures as United PetSafe attendants put the cats onto the plane.

As you can see from these photos, the cats were unloaded directly from the pet van to the plane (no waiting around on the tarmac), and it even looks like the attendant takes a moment to stop and talk to one of the kitties.

This is the level of care and attention we expect when we choose to fly with a pet-friendly airline, and we are happy to see that the PetSafe program was operating as it should be for our Oslo-bound customers.

 

"Hi there, kitty cat"

 

An orderly process -- straight from the van to the plane.

 

Please contact us if you have any questions about moving pets or choosing a pet-friendly airline; we'd be happy to answer your questions or help to arrange your upcoming move.

 

UPDATE: Here are a couple of pictures of the cats now that they've made it safely to Oslo. Looks like they're settling in nicely!

 

Panphilla

 

 

Frederick

 

 

When it comes to transporting animals, it seems that improvements and developments are always on the horizon. For example, John F. Kennedy International Airport will add a new $32 million animal facility offering kenneling and grooming services, quarantine areas for horses, veterinary facilities, an aviary, and lawn space. The plans were approved last Thursday by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and signal a continued dedication to the growth of the pet travel industry.

Not only will this addition make life easier for pet travelers, it will create new jobs and provide a revenue growth opportunity for the Port Authority, who expects to earn over $108 million in rent over the initial 20 year lease period. The facilities will expand upon the services already offered by the existing Vetport.

Once complete, the JFK animal travel facilities will be larger than the current ones found at Miami and Los Angeles airports. The new facilities will be located in Building 78 at JFK, which is currently empty.

Hopefully airports and airlines will continue to step up to assist pet travelers on their various journeys, because when it comes to pet travel, safety is paramount and convenience is key. We look forward to working with more and more power players as they continue to realize that relocating pets is a trend on the rise.

 

photo by DearEdward via Flickr

We've told you about summer airline embargoes that could affect pet travel during these warmer months, but it's always a good idea to double check with your airline before you fly because last minute adjustments are often made for a variety of reasons.

For example, Last week we heard that Lufthansa will be suspending all pet flights from Spain to Frankfurt until August 21 due to the extreme heat that's expected to affect these regions. Heat waves may affect other airlines and regions (summer isn't quite over yet), so remember that it's always a smart idea to plan carefully and talk to airline representatives about possible changes.

Note also that some airlines and destinations impose restrictions when it comes to transporting certain breeds, particularly in the heat. Currently Boxers, Boston Terriers, Pugs an several other snub-nosed pets are not able to fly into Indonesia with Lufthansa when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- another thing to keep in mind when planning international relocations.

Read more about summer pet travel, and please contact PetRelocation.com if you have any questions.

 

 

Summer is a busy time for pet shipping and heat embargoes can make things even more complicated, but it seems like things have been especially busy lately for those of us trying to keep up with the world of pet travel.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Delta has recently begun restricting its pet flights. As of last month, it's been reported that Delta will no longer carry pets as checked baggage or cargo on Boeing 767s due to space limitations on international flights. Previously Delta also stopped flying in-cabin pets in business class on international flights, and due to safety concerns, no longer flies snub-nosed breeds of dogs and cats as checked baggage.

Another bit of news: last week the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed new rules requiring an expansion when it comes to airlines reporting pet transportation rates as well as all incidents and mishaps. Currently only the 15 top airlines are required to report these numbers, but under the new rules about 36 airlines would be held accountable. IPATA and the Humane Society view the proposal as a positive step that will make flying pets a safer endeavor.

What does it all mean? In some ways pet travel seems to be getting easier and in some ways it's becoming more complicated. Hopefully there's a common theme underlying all these recent changes, though -- pet safety. If we all keep our pets best interests in mind, we'll be heading in the right direction no matter what news the headlines bring.

As always, it's a good idea to start researching your pet's travel details well in advance, talk to your vet about what you can do to help make everything go smoothly, and contact PetRelocation.com with any questions about shipping your pets. Stay tuned for more pet news updates. We're doing our best to keep up!

 

 

We recently hired a few interns to help us out during the busy pet shipping season, and it's been fun to introduce these fresh young talents to a whole new world (pet transportation isn't exactly standard curriculum at our nation's colleges). Here they are, our summer interns:

 

Elli is originally from the Austin area and currently attends Purdue University in Indiana. She likes to read, she works a lot (Elli has about three jobs at any given time), and she also plays the clarinet and likes music, food, and video games. This summer she’s helping the pet shipping team by sending information out to clients and agents, and she's also helping to book flights and talk to airlines and veterinarians. Ellie has a miniature dachshund named Lily in addition to her mom's five dogs.

 

Here are a few words from Elli: So far it seems like I’ve learned so much about what goes in to actually moving animals (or really anything) around the globe, and I know it’s only the surface.  I just hope to learn more about how all of this works and glean a little bit of information about how each part of the world relates to every other part. Outside of that, this is a wonderful experience and learning opportunity for how things out in the real world work! I’m really enjoying everything here and can’t wait to see what else I can do and learn!

 

Yang attends Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and he’s originally from Shaanxi, China. Yang is here for the summer as a Data Analyst Intern, so he’s busy learning to crunch the numbers and stats associated with our pet moves. Yang’s parents have been taking care of his cat Misha for the past few years, and he hopes to have a pet of his own soon.

 

Ethan is from Katy, Texas and he’s a Senior Marketing major at Texas State University. Ethan likes to play with his dog (Kona) at the river, and also enjoys mountain biking, backpacking and cooking spaghetti. Here at PetRelocation.com, Ethan is creating pricing spreadsheets, collecting info on vet offices, talking to vets, airlines and clients, and is also learning to find routes to countries all over the world (even the “crazy” ones).

Ethan hopes to learn more about how the sales staff interacts with customers, and is also interested in finding out "how a private company can maintain a positive competitive advantage."

 

Lauren was born and raised in Dallas, TX (the actual city, not a suburb). A huge part of her life while growing up was playing the violin—she attended an arts magnet high school to focus in music and orchestra until she moved to Austin for college at UT in 2008. She is currently completing a dual major in math and psychology (two majors that have little to do with music or with each other), and she is a huge pet lover. This summer, Lauren is working on data-mining and marketing with PetRelocation.com (to continue the pattern of pursuing fields that actually interest her), and she is looking forward to learning a lot during her internship.

 

 

Name: Shereen
Number of Pets: 3
Pet Type: 2 dogs and 1 cat
Pet Breed: Dachshunds, Siamese
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
To: Toronto, Canada

 

We would like to know what the requirements are to take our pets with us to Toronto, as my husband is being transferred by his company. We need to know the costs involved, the period of quarantine, how they will be transported etc.

Warm regards,
Shereen

 

Hello Shereen,

Thank you for contacting us, we hope we can help! These are the pet import requirements for Canada. There will not be a quarantine if you follow these rules.

When traveling internationally it's especially important to choose a pet-friendly airline with established pet safety policies in place. Take a look at our site for more info about travel crates, also, and if you'd like a quote for our door-to-door services, you can fill out our free form and a Pet Relocation Specialist will get back to you with more information.

Please contact us if you have more questions, and good luck with everything!

 

Name: Hermien
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Cocker Spaniel
From: Baku, Azerdbaijan
To: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 

Hello,

I have a question -- can you tell me what kind of papers I will need to transport my dog from Baku to Amsterdam?

Regards,
Hermien

 

Hello Hermien,

Thanks for contacting us with your question. Here are the pet import requirements for the Netherlands. You'll need to visit your vet and secure a few documents, including an International Health Certificate, and we also recommend that you fly with a pet-friendly airline and work to make sure your dog is well-accustomed to the travel crate.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions about your pet relocation. Good luck!
 

 

There's more to it than just packing the car and hitting the road. Lots of people travel with pets and lately we've received several questions about a particular pet travel issue --  how to cross the Canada/US border by car. We've offered advice to a few travelers and thought we'd share the facts as we know them.

Here's what you need to have and to know to cross the Canada border with a pet:

-An original Rabies vaccine certificate.

-An International Health Certificate obtained within 10 days of departure.

-Travelers will need to call their local USDA to see about getting the health certificate endorsed. Note that USDA offices in different places may have different preferences; here in Austin they recommend having the International Health Certificate endorsed, for example, but in other places they may not follow the same procedure.

-Be aware that every border experience can be a little different. It's frustrating but true that some agents may be strict and some may let you cross with very few questions, so it's best to be well-prepared just in case.

-Finally, follow the standard tips for transporting pets by car to make sure the trip goes smoothly all around. This means packing extra supplies, bringing plenty of water, and keeping your pet securely buckled up so as not to be a distraction to the driver.

 

Please contact PetRelocation.com with any more questions about driving pets to Canada. We're happy to help!

 

Photo by meddygarnet via Flickr

 

AUSTIN, Texas, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PetRelocation.com, an international pet travel and pet transportation service provider, has announced the results of its third annual Summer Pet Travel Survey. For 2012, travel trends have fluctuated, but overall the popularity of pet travel is holding steady and consumer demands are more specific than ever.

Nearly Half of Pet Owners Will Travel This Summer
Forty seven percent of respondents said they planned to travel with their pets within the next three months, and another 40 percent plan to travel within the next year.

Dogs Rule (Even More)
Though about a quarter of the people said they travel with their cats, a commanding 85 percent will bring their dogs along when they hit the road in 2012. In 2011, 58 percent said they traveled with dogs and 22 percent with cats.

Pet Owners Want More Pet-Friendly Hotels
When it comes to prohibitive factors, 40 percent said there aren't enough pet-friendly hotels to choose from. Hotel fees and an inadequate amount of pet-friendly airlines were also singled out as the most difficult parts of pet travel (each of these was cited by 17 percent of people). About 12 percent of respondents said they found airline pet fees to be too high, down significantly from 18 percent last year and 38 percent in 2010.

Safety Tops the List
For the third year in a row, safety was cited as the number one priority for pet travelers, with 60 percent of respondents saying it is their top concern when making travel plans. Convenience came in second place at 25 percent, and pricing was stated as the number one concern for 15 percent of people.

Pets as Deciding Factors
An overwhelming 90 percent of people said they would change their travel plans to better accommodate their pets, and more than half (57 percent) would choose a hotel based on its pet-friendly features.

The full results of the 2012 Pet Travel Survey can be found here.

About PetRelocation.com
PetRelocation.com offers door-to-door pet travel services using pet-friendly airlines for domestic and international pet moves.  Founded in 2004 in Austin, Texas, PetRelocation.com safely moves hundreds of household pets worldwide each year. For more information, please visit http://www.PetRelocation.com.

Contact: Caitlin Moore, Media Coordinator | 512-362-6129 | caitlin@petrelocation.com

Name: Belinda
Pet's Name: Bronte
From: Colorado Springs, CO
To: Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
 

When you move to Saudi Arabia from Colorado, everyone assumes you'll be putting your furry friends on Craigslist, but I knew when I took a new job overseas that I would be bringing Emily Bronte, my Siamese/Himalayan rescue cat, to the desert with me. What I didn't know was how.

I read tons of accounts on the internet about how people manage (successfully and not so successfully) to bring cats on planes with them for transatlantic flights. At the beginning, this was my plan, but I soon realized that getting my cat on the plane and keeping her from meowing for hours was the least of my worries. There were health certificates, import permits, international offices with phones that aren't monitored, and conflicting information coming from all directions about how, exactly, one gets an American cat into Saudi Arabia.

Needless to say, I also had a few other things to do--such as tying up the loose ends of my entire life, packing, and saying goodbye to friends, family, coworkers, and over 20 years of memories. I had neither the time nor the experience necessary to handle Bronte's move on my own.

Initially, I hired a local pet relocation company that quoted me a remarkably low fee and quickly proved that, at least in this case, I stood to get exactly what I paid for. These people had no idea what they were doing, and I was NOT going to leave them in charge of my 8-pound kitty in the hopes that they could get her successfully to her new home. After just one week of "planning" the trip with this company, I fired them.

That's when I found PetRelocation.com. Jon Bartosh was my first point of contact, but Abbey Seidensticker was my (and Bronte's) main guardian angel throughout the process. Even though Abbey is based in Texas, the company's network of pet relocation agents is so extensive that I knew I was leaving Bronte in good hands. This was not their first import to Saudi Arabia, and the experience and confidence that Jon and Abbey offered absolutely made the choice for me.

I left the country about a month before Bronte, and from there Abbey took care of absolutely all of the details. She coordinated with my vet, where Bronte was boarding, made arrangements with the CO USDA, made sure the Saudi Import permit was issued properly through the Department of Agriculture in KSA, and did a lot of general hand-holding for me--because I was really anxious about the whole process. When it was time to travel, Abbey arranged transportation to the airport, and food, water, and monitoring during the trip. She also did an amazing job of making sure I knew how to track Bronte's travel and verify her safe arrival at each destination. I even received a photo of Bronte just before she left the Denver airport.

Just this Thursday, Bronte arrived in Saudi Arabia. She had a direct flight from Denver to Frankfurt where she spend the night in the Lufthansa pet facility at the airport and was able to stretch, eat, use the litter box--all the things cats need to do. It was so nice to know that she was getting a break between two rather long flights. The second travel day brought her straight into Jeddah where I met her at the airport. We're now happily reunited in our new home!

I should note that PetRelocation.com does offer a door-to-door service, so I could have foregone the trip to the airport altogether, but I opted to do this bit myself, with the help of another agent who we worked with here in Saudi Arabia.

I couldn't possibly be more satisfied with PetRelocation.com. At a very stressful time in my life, they helped to manage what could have been the most stressful part of all. I will certainly use their services again when Bronte and I return to the US someday.

 

 

 

We've been following the news and developments accompanying the United/Continental Airline merger, and over the past few weeks United has been following a path of general expansion.

Beginning on May 1, Manchester will become the 15th transatlantic destination served from the hub of Dulles International Airport (IAD). Also on May 1, Doha will become the fourth Middle East destination served by United Airlines.

In terms of pet travel, Manchester will be open to pet shipments immediately and Doha is expected to be animal-accessible at a later date.

We'll keep you updated with all the latest pet transportation news, so keep in touch!

 

(via TripAdvisor.com)

 

Pet transportation services aren't just limited to moving a dog or cat across the country when work or military duty calls the family to a new place. Along with technological advances and emerging international developments, transporting animals is a service in demand, leaving airlines and freight companies in the position of stepping up to the challenge or being left behind.

This recently published Bloomberg article goes into greater detail about Lufthansa, KLM, and the other companies who deal with shipping animals. It's pretty fascinating to see how trends have been changing recently and how these businesses are learning to handle exotic moves.

Want to know more? Here are a few details from the article, and you can read the whole thing here.

 

-Last year Lufthansa's Frankfurt facility handled 110 animals of various kinds (including 80 million tropical fish and 300 tons of worms).

-Lufthansa usually transports around 14,000 dogs and cats and 2,000 horses in a year.

-Animal freight makes up about one to two percent of Lufthansa's total cargo revenue.

-One of the most unconventional cargo shipments on record was a plane filled with dogs and cats evacuated from Lebanon following a missile strike.

-Before they fly out of Frankfurt, animals are inspected by up to 24 different vets.

-Some freighters are equipped with up to four different temperature zones, meaning that one flight can safely and comfortably carry warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals (think horses and penguins, for example).

-Large fish, dolphins and poisonous reptiles are not accepted for shipment by Lufthansa due to safety concerns.

 

 

Hannelore Foerster/Bloomberg

 

 

 

 

Anyone who has planned a pet relocation knows that there are many moving parts to attend to. We can do a lot from our home base (make phone calls, arrange vet visits, order custom crates, etc.), but bringing pets to and from the airport, to and from boarding facilities, and ultimately home to your front door requires the services of someone trustworthy and adept at the more physical, location-specific tasks associated with moving pets.

PetRelocation.com entrusts this job to various pet transportation professionals around the world, and we thought it was about time to introduce you to a few of them.

First up is John Kernan of Pawsitively Dogs, who started out as a businessman in California. Family matters brought him back to his hometown of Rochester, NY, and he ended up staying there when he realized he'd rather run a pet-sitting business than return to the world of suits and ties. 

We're glad this animal-lover made the career switch, as he's helped us with several moves in the upper New York region. John has even crossed the border into Canada to move a pet, so he can call himself an international pet mover!

To give all of us a better idea of what goes on during every part of the pet move, we recently asked John a few questions about his experiences. Here's more about moving pets from a driver's point of view...


How did you get started as a pet transporter?

I've come to the pet transportation business by way of the pet sitting business. Prior to that, I was in corporate America in the information technology sales world.

I've been involved in volunteer rescue for 10 or more years, walking dogs at shelters and ASPCA centers. I left the corporate world after my Dad passed and Mom wasn't doing so well. As the single sibling (I have seven others), it was easiest for me to take a break, leave California, and return to Rochester for what I thought would be a year or so.

While here, I indulged my passion for animals through work as a volunteer dog walker and trainer at the local ASPCA. I work with another rescue group here called Nuts for Mutts as well. As Mom improved I decided to start a pet sitting business rather than return to corporate America.

I began assisting with local ASPCA events, continued transporting on occasion as part of my pet taxi service, and more recently began transporting for PetRelocation.com in the New York and southern Ontario, Canada regions.

Is there anything else that inspired you to embrace this line of work?

I have a rescue dog named Bobby whose story I tell under the My Inspiration section of my website. He's been my best pal for over 8 years now...makes me laugh every single day.

Here's an excerpt from John's website:

I met him during my volunteer work as a dog walker at a No-Kill shelter in Nevada. He’d been deposited there by animal control after spending the first few months of his life on the street. After finding out that the poor guy never got walked and had been there almost a year (a positive example of this shelter’s commitment to its residents), I needed another volunteer to assist me in cornering Bobby so I could put a leash on him for a walk.

After several walks it became apparent that he was totally overwhelmed and confused… his head remained down, tail low, always hunching down as he slinked along beside me. I later learned that he’d been there almost a year and they were concerned that he might not be adoptable. I could hear no more and decided to take him home. He lay in the bed I bought him for over a week without once barking; only venturing out with me for potty breaks. Gradually, he improved as he learned to trust me and his new surroundings.

It took time and patience but he is now a shining example of what trust and affection can do for a wounded animal. His loyalty continues to astound me and he makes me laugh every single day!

What is the best part of your job?

My favorite part of the job is my initial meeting with the dogs at airport pick-ups. This potty break is often the first time they get out of their crates for hours, and they can be confused. It's nice to see the subtle changes as you talk to them and reassure them that everything is going to be OK. They're just dying for a reassuring voice and touch after a long flight, and will often nuzzle right up to you for comfort. Final delivery to the customer is also great as the animal first recognizes his "long-lost" owner.

What has been your longest trip, and do you have any interesting transport stories?

The longest transport to date was from Rochester, NY to Mississauga, Ontario, a distance of over 300 miles.

It was interesting crossing the border with the two pups I had in two separate cages. It was all I could do to convince the customs rep that I was NOT transporting illegal aliens but instead legal canines! He also found it difficult to understand that I did not own the dogs, but instead was transporting them on behalf of a pet transportation company.

After several rounds of questions and perusals at my paperwork, he finally waved me through. I do believe this was a first for him!

What advice do you have for pet owners that may help put their minds at ease during a relocation?

I think that it helps the owners to have a contact telephone number with the drivers. I always call the owner prior to pick-up at their location or from the airport prior to delivering their pet to them. It is certainly reassuring to know that the transport person is also another pet lover and understands what you're going through. I've found that customers really do appreciate the call.   
 
--

We thank John for speaking with us and look forward to working with him to move many more pets!