pet cargo

Many myths exist about shipping pets as cargo. We thought we'd review some of them.

Myth:

The pet cargo hold is dangerously hot/cold.

Reality:  

On most flights that accept pets, the cargo area itself is climate-controlled just like the passenger cabin above.  So why do airlines have temperature restrictions?  While many airlines have "Weather Embargoes" during the summer/winter months, it is not because of the cargo hold temperatures.

Name: Donna Kull
Moving From: New York, NY
Moving To: Palm Beach, FL
Question: My dog is a labrador mix, and is extremely anxious with all types of travel. What safety precautions are there while my dog is in cargo? I saw on your video that Continental has staff checking in on pets in cargo during the flight. Is there someone there the entire time? Also, is cargo environmentally suited for temperature, water, etc? Can you describe it? I will be back and forth about 2-3 times a year.

Today we received an email from a very anxious pet owner, who displays many of the common concerns about international pet transport.  We wanted to post her email and our answer to her so others could see that they're certainly not alone!

Dear PetRelocation:

We came across this great slideshow of Continental's PetSafe program today.  It shows photos taken "behind-the-scenes" by USA Today photographer Dave Einsel at Continental's cargo office in Houston.  Click here or on the photo below to check it out!

Hi there, My queston has a few parts as I have been finding a lot of out of date information relating to international pet travel. I am a Canadian living in Lima Peru unitl December at which point we will be moving to Washington DC. We have an 8week old Rhodesian Ridgeback that we need to bring from Canada to Lima.