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.

Answer:

Hi Donna,  Thanks for your question.  When the pets are underneath the plane, there are not people under the plane with them.  However, they do check on them when they are being taken on and off the plane during layovers.

Is it traumatic for the pets to be put into cargo? Pet cargo holds are quite safe, as long as you are working with pet friendly airlines.  I'd encourage you to do some research on the airline you plan on putting your dog on, and ask them the important questions: Do you keep pets in climate control, Is the pet cargo area pressurized, Where will my pet be kept during layovers and while waiting for the flight?  Check out our recent post:  Pet Friendly Airlines Mean First Class for Fido for more. 

Crate Train to Lower Stress

Another great thing you can do to help lower the stress on your pet is get him used to his pet travel crate.  We have a series of pet travel videos that discuss how to purchase the right size, airline approved travel crate as well as how to crate train your pet for travel.