Consumers Enjoy Increasing Pet Transportation and Shipping Options

Written by industry advocate Terri L Malueg-Ray, International publisher, speaker and recognized dog expert

 February 22, 2008 – Pets are more popular than ever. New statistics from the American Veterinary Medical Association (Schaumburg, Ill.) reveal pet ownership at an all-time high with 68.7 million U.S. households owning a dog or cat. As pet ownership rises, so do the choices in services that can be provided for our loved animals. Services like dog daycare, puppy training, pet taxi or cat yoga are available in most major cities while only a decade ago it was incomprehensible there would be patrons for a service such as these. Pet owners truly enjoy having increasing choices for things to do for their four legged family members. However, they need to aware most pet services are not regulated or governed. This means there are not ANY formal training or regulatory guidelines for puppy training or dog daycare business which is why it so  important for you to do your homework before enrolling Felix or Fido in that advertised pet service.  

 Pet transportation similarly is not regulated or governed. Pet owners now enjoy having choices beyond driving themselves or flying pets as cargo. Today there are many pet travel and transportation companies found in the phone books or on the internet. When considering professional pet transportation learn what and how each type of service is provided. Verify company credentials and they have insurance along with the conditions during transport and mode of travel. Understand the illness and injury risks if your pet is exposed to other animals, crated for an extended period of time or is handled as cargo. Weigh the risks before choosing method and company to entrust with your special family member. Too often and sometimes tragically, the service selected is not the best for your breed or temperament of your dog or cat.

 Flying cargo or a ground travel are the available travel methods of dog or cat transport within U.S., Canada and Mexico. Air cargo is typically cheaper than ground but flying your pet as cargo requires paperwork, weather conditions and that your pet be crated the entire time from airport arrival through to destination cargo pickup area. This means your pet will stay in the crate from the time you drop them off until they are picked up at destination. Your pet will be handled by multiple people, exposed to weather conditions, ride with other pets and cargo and not have any supervision during flight. If your dog or cat can safely and without anxiety withstand this environment for the total travel time, then air cargo travel may be the best option. Consider certain breeds are more prone to trauma or injury if stressed. For some, being a crate for a long time, loud noises, motion, darkness, exposure to weather or proximity to other animals may exacerbate pet’s anxiety. For the airline you are considering, be sure to review their safety report. Although many consumer insist airlines under report pet injuries and deaths, you can find  the number of pet deaths, injuries or that were lost for each airline in the monthly pet air travel report (http://www.petflight.com/pet-travel-reports).

 If you determine your pet is better suited for ground method of transportation, you will be delighted to find a growing number of companies that provide varying levels of pet travel services. From the personal, crate free straight through service which eliminates any risks of injury or illness to the often cheaper multi-pet, multi-stop transport service. Whichever service best fits your pet and your budget, be sure to verify company credentials before committing. Things such as proof of insurance, uncompensated references, company mailing address and something in writing verifying service details should all be readily available to provide to you. Other items you should note include how will you be assured all animals in proximity to your pet are fully vaccination, how many drivers and other personnel to care for my pet, how often will my pet be let out, what is company safety record to name a few. Requesting deposit monies is customary with the ground transportation companies; however, a reputable pet transport company will be happy to answer your questions and provide verifying information before requesting any payment.

Consumers Enjoy Increasing Pet Transportation and Shipping Options

 Keywords: Pet, dog, ground, moving, travel, transportation, ship, relocation, cat, safe, taxi, door to door, puppy, pet cargo, kennel, airfirs