Did you see the recent articles in the news about airlines having to report on pet casualties? If you haven’t heard about it let me update you. Recently Congress passed a law, the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, which requires airlines to report on how many pets die, are lost or are injured. The law goes into effect on June 15, 2005.
It brought back memories of something that happened to my late sister, Barbara, years ago. Barbara was very active in raising and showing dogs. In the late 60’s she made plans to fly with her pet, Topper, to a dog show in Chicago. Because Topper was a larger dog he could not be brought on board but had to fly in a cage in the cargo hold. Well, Barbara arrived in Chicago on a direct flight from Hartford, however, Topper was no where to be found. He was lost! Eventually the airline was able to find him but only after he had flown to Mexico, Los Angeles, and part of Canada. Fortunately the airline was able to deliver Topper to the Dog show but because of “jet lag” Barbara decided not to show him.
After thinking about the new requirements I decided to try and find some useful information about traveling with pets. Here are some sites or articles that contain on point information:
Humane Society some tips on flying with your pet
And also some tips if you’re going to leave without your pet.
Another helpful site that provides plenty of information is www.petsonthego.com
I also remember a question that my Sister and her friends would continually ask me: Can I purchase travel insurance for my Dog? And if my Dog gets sick or injured or dies can I cancel my trip? I always had to answer that none of the travel insurance plans then would cover their pets. Unfortunately that is still the answer. But keep asking. Some day an insurance company might realize the potential market and add coverage.