10 Tips For Bringing Your Pet Overseas

When my husband and I adopted our two puppies (Molly and Jack) everyone told us that would be the end of our carefree travel days.   This summer we will be flying to Madrid and living in apartment in the Chamberi area for three months.  Our two dogs?  They’re coming with us.

Here are the top ten tips, if you want to take your furry buddy overseas:

1.  Plan ahead.  Some countries like the UK require special tests 4 months before you arrive.  This site, www.pettravel.com lists the entry requirements by country.

2.  What’s in a breed?  If you have a pug or other short nosed breed, many airlines will not allow them due to increased difficulties breathing on the plane.  Sorry, that’s the rule.

3.  Check or Carry?  Determine if you are going to check your pet as cargo or bring them on the flight with you.  If your pet is less than 25 lbs, it’s up to you.  If your pet is over 25 lbs then they must be checked in the cargo area.  Doesn’t count against your luggage total—thankfully!

4.  Call ahead.  Some airlines require you to call and make a reservation for your pet; others do not, to avoid confusion call ahead and find out their policy.

5.  Calculate total cost.  In our case, the cheapest flight at $2000 roundtrip charged a whopping $1600 in fees for our dogs (Total: $3200).  A more expensive flight at $2500 roundtrip was with an airline that only charged $200 for the dogs (Total: $2700).  Note:  Go non-stop if you can.

6.  Make sure Fido Fits.  When buying a pet carrier we brought our dogs with us into PetSmart and had them test out sizes.  Your pet should be able to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably.  Note:  The carrier label should say “Airline Approved”.

7.  Get your shots.  For most of Europe, you just need to have a USDA certified vet fill out a form stating your pet has the appropriate rabies shots. 

8.  Forget sleeping pills.  While you may want to pass out with some Ambient on the flight over, don’t do your pet the same favor.  Any type of tranquillizer is discouraged as they can make it difficult for your pet to breath in the pressurized cabin.

9.  Food and Drink.  Don’t forget to tape food and a water bowl to the top of your carrier if you are checking your pet into cargo.

10.  THIS SIDE UP.  Be sure to label your carrier with lots of warnings and your contact information in case you get separated.

H/T Christine Gilbert – 04/27/08

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Related Posts:

• With Pets Travel Series:  Ten Tips For Traveling With Pets – Part III
• With Pets Travel Series:  Have Dog, Will Travel:  Tips for Taking Your Pet on the Road – Part II
• Dog Friendly Honda Element – Gotta Get One
• New Pet Airline – Airline Just For Pets Takes Off
• Jet Blue Introduces JetPaws Program
• Honda’s Dog Friendly Element Revealed – Gets Humane Society Approval
• Honda’s Dog Friendly Element
• It’s A Dog’s Life For Travelling Pooches
• Orange County Sheriffs Ask People To Buckle Up Their Pets

Stop Killing Dogs Campaign – Please Join US

Become a  “Stop Killing Dogs” campaign supporter!

Thank you for caring about this issue. In case you haven’t read the recent news about the dog meat industry, here’s an example from Korea:

A high school student contacted KARA (Korea Animal Rights Advocates) about a dog farm next to his school. Students can see the dog farm, hear dogs barking all day, and hear louder cries once every 3 days (most likely when the slaughtering of dogs is taking place). An awful smell reaches the school playground from the dog farm.

You can read the whole story and see pictures by following this link: http://animalrightskorea.org/actions/dog-farm-near-high-school.html

This is only one example of the abuse of animals out of hundreds of cases: dogs of different breeds are kept on farms across Korea in horrible conditions, without proper food or clean water and in filthy steel cages. KARA has reported this farm to the officials. The farmer can be penalized if he does not have a permit for his dog farm.

You can help in several ways to change the status quo:

*Share the petition page with your friends and upload this photo (http://twitpic.com/s0bpw) into your online photo albums and blogs or as a profile picture.

*Download and distribute flyers to people in your local community. Get them at: http://www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs/get-involved

*Join Stop Killing Dogs support page on Facebook to keep yourself updated with the latest news: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Killing-Dogs-supporters-page/235848430651

KARA and other organizations are fighting for a better life for dogs in Korea every day. But we need more than local efforts to ensure proper legal protection for these animals and make dog farms illegal. The government of Korea tries to ignore the problem, so to help Korean dogs we need international pressure.

The petition at www.uniteddogs.com/stopkillingdogs has already collected over 350,000 signatures.

If all of you find 1 person to sign, there will be 700,000 signatures by tomorrow.

Thank you for spreading the word,

United Dogs and Cats

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Related:

• Stop Killing Dogs! 2 Million Dogs KIlled in Horrible Ways Every Year in South Korea
• Dog Meat in Beijing Ordered Off Menu for Olympics
• Olympic Clean-up Chinese Style: Beijings Shocking Cat Death Camps

NYC Dog Rescue

If you are in NYC or know any dog lover who is, please help out with this SOS from this rescue group. Thanks!

Kody was rescued from the housing projects a few days ago, where a couple of teenagers were keeping him locked in a cage virtually 24 hours a day. A woman named Carolyn contacted me, as she had met Kody when he was tied to a tree in the pouring rain, howling and crying miserably. Carolyn had stopped off to get some food in Brooklyn, and happened upon Kody. He is 15 months old, and had the name "Kujo" which was abruptly changed to something that sounded similar, to help in his foster/adoption search. A name like Kujo is not at all helpful! The kids agreed to give up Kody several days later, as he was illegal to own in their building anyhow. A woman in our group, Mia, was so kind to take Kody into her apartment, even though her roommate was unhappy with the situation. Mia can only hold on to Kody until the end of this week. At that point, he will go to a shelter unless someone steps forward to foster or adopt him.

Kody is adorable, black and white, totally housetrained, and goes right into his crate when asked. He is being neutered – and Carolyn is paying for the surgery, which will happen on Wednesday. Kody would do extremely well in a home with a woman – he loves women. He warms right up to them, and is a huge snugglebug. He likes to cuddle and lie down under the covers, and belly rubs are his favorite pastime. He is also quite protective of the person he loves, and would make a great companion for a woman who lives alone. We have not done a thorough dog-test with him, but he played with a dog on the street today quite nicely. We believe that he will be ok with dogs, but should meet the dog in the home where he is going, on neutral territory, before moving in.

The reason that I say he will be euthanized at a shelter is because (aside from there being no room and the likelihood that any pit bull in a shelter system has a slim chance of making it out alive), Kody does not know how to react when greeting people for the first time. Kody was not in a good situation for the first year of his life, so he is still unsure about everyone he meets. When I first met him, he growled and barked at me. But within a half hour, he was laying on top of me, and kissing my lips! All it took was a few minutes of me talking to him gently, and a few cookies, and he was hooked.

Please help this dog start a new life. If you are looking for a companion for your own dog, Kody may just be the dog for you. If you are living alone, and want someone to come home to at the end of each day, Kody will happily be your dog. He gets very attached to anyone who shows him kindness and love, and I know he will thrive in a new environment, with a little patience and a somewhat experienced dog owner.

Will post photos when I get some.

Source: odgrules on AARP Pet Blog

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Puppy Saves Owner From Fire

Chihuahua warns trucker about fire – Coco wakes owner by nudging him

WHAG

Coco is used to a life on the road. The 4-month-old Chihuahua puppy loves to cruise the highways with his owner, a truck driver.

Now, Coco’s being credited with saving his owner’s life.

Early Thursday morning, Coco’s owner awoke to his dog frantically barking. The pair was sleeping in their big rig at the Myersville Truck Stop in Frederick, Md., when it caught fire, and the cab filled with smoke. Thanks to Coco’s warning, both the man and his dog were able to make it out alive. Both were rushed to the hospital, and Coco is being treated for severe smoke inhalation.

While the owner is recovering from second degree burns at Baltimore Burn Center, the dog named Coco is fighting for his life at a Hagerstown vet clinic.

Four-month-old Coco is clinging to life in this oxygen tent, hooked up to a humidifier, and IVS.

“Coco is still in critical condition and we are continuing to watch him closely,” said Dr. Saxton, of the Cumberland Valley Veternary Clinic. “He will continue to receive supportive care of oxygen and fluids until he is well enough to leave the clinic.”

Coco is being treated in an oxygen tent.

Veterinarians said his medical bills will likely top $2,000, which is a huge financial burden for his owner, who also remains hospitalized.

If you want to help defray the cost of Coco’s medical expenses, send donations to the Humane Society of Washington County offices, 13011 Maugansville Road, Hagerstown, Md.

You can also make donations online at www.hswcmd.org, click on the “Donate Now” button on the home page and be sure to indicate “for Animals in Distress” on the comment line.

By ANNE REYNOLDS  – Updated 7:16 PM EST, Fri, Jan 29, 2010

Posted: Just One More Pet

Bambi and Morris…

A friend in Harrisburg has a cat who has a special friend that visits every morning. She finally took some pics~

Posted: Just One More Pet

EMS has introduced trained service dogs to help cut costs ;-)

Canines have been used for police work, search & rescue, tracking, service dogs, and a variety of other tasks.  Now they’re assisting   EMS  and doing so at a much lower cost.

See the examples below:



Breathe, damn you, breathe!

Whiskey Tango’s Mardi Growl Fur~Ball (Hollywood, FL)

Masquerade For Dogs & their People!

You don’t want to miss the KICK Off of The City Of Hollywood’s Mardi Gras week!

Katia will be doing $10 Valentine & Mardi Gras photos! Check her new site with the variety of background settings, www.wix.com/KatiaX210/PhoDOGraphy-by-Katia.

Get your Mardi~Growl costume on with your Dog and win a $200 prize!

Could your Fur-Baby be the first Mardi~Growl Queen or King?

Whiskey Tango All American Bar & Grill’s full Menu: http://whiskeytangofl…

CLICK ON FLYER TO SEE FULL VIEW

MAP TO PARKING

There may be $5 Valet Parking at the door to the venue, there is metered parking in the middle of Hollywood Blvd (Cost: $1.00 per hour, master meter, pay and display receipt, 1 machine, 26 parking spaces), or there is FREE parking in the city parking garage at 19th and Tyler (250 N. 19th Avenue) OR 20th and Van Buren (251 S. 20th Avenue).

Posted:  Just One More Pet

Dog rescued after 100-mile journey on ice floe

WARSAW, Poland – A dog had a lucky escape when a boat rescued him from an ice floe that had carried him more than 100 miles up a river and out onto the Baltic Sea.

“My crew saw… a shape moving on the water and we immediately decided to get closer to check if it was a dog or maybe a seal relaxing on the ice,” said Jan Joachim, senior officer aboard the Baltica.

“As we got closer to the ice floe we saw that it was a dog struggling not to fall into the water.”

Ship engineer Adam Buczynski managed to scoop the dog off the floe onto an inflatable dinghy and wrapped him in a blanket.

“He didn’t even squeal. There was just fear in his big eyes,” said Buczynski.

‘Right place at the right time’

The dog was first seen on the ice floe some 70 miles inland to the south on the Vistula river but firemen were unable to rescue him. When the Baltica crew found him, he had already drifted some 18 miles out to sea.

“We were in the right place at the right time,” said Joachim, noting that they rescued him shortly before nightfall.

Crew members are now trying to locate the dog’s owner.
Poland is in the grip of bitterly cold weather, with night temperatures in some areas falling as low as -31 Fahrenheit.

Source:  MSNBC

Posted:  Just One More Pet

400 Dogs And Cats Rescued From Shelter

Clarksdale, Mississippi (Jan 27th, 2010)

More than 400 dogs and cats have been rescued from “deplorable conditions” at a shelter in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

On Sunday morning an operation involving multiple animal rescue organizations swooped on the city’s animal shelter under the authority and request of the city of Clarksdale. Animals were being kept in overcrowded conditions and many had serious health complaints. The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), who assisted in the rescue, described the facility as being suitable for only 60 animals.

The ASPCA worked with local authorities to establish a temporary shelter for the animals, which included 40 cats and around 320 dogs, and was assisted by local organizations including In Defense of Animals, Mississippi Animal Rescue League and Mississippi Animal Response Team. These coordinated efforts were assisted by 4 local veterinarians. In addition, the Atlanta Humane Society is transporting at least 100 animals to Georgia where they will become available for adoption.

Tim Rickey, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Field Investigations and Response, said that many of the animals appear to be healthy, but some have medical conditions, including mange, as well as injuries and bite wounds from living in communal, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. “We are making sure that the animals’ immediate needs are being met, and all animals are being evaluated by a veterinarian and will receive appropriate care,” Rickey said. “This was a situation where the intake of unwanted animals was much higher than the number of animals being adopted, and it led to horrible living conditions. We are glad to be able to provide relief.”

Photograph courtesy In Defense of Animals

This is just another example of how we all need to be vigilant and pro-active in checking things out, noticing abuse of any kind, and reporting problems, abuse and questionable situations.

Posted:  Just One More Pet

AMAZING What I NOW Think is CUTE!!

I was chatting with a long time dog show friend this morning – we have known each other for YEARS.  She knew of my Fera’s passing (she too has Rotties) and was tickled to death when she saw I had adopted Shannon – the little poodle “something” .

We were chatting and laughing as I relayed to her Shannon’s progress in the stress and anxiety department , her perfect “potty” record and how she is SO much at home here…

how she:

* has debeaded all my throw pillows

* chewed up an inkpen

* swiped my glasses off my nighstand (only half destroyed them)

* was just dragging a $45.00 bra into the livingroom to begin working on

ALL THIS WEEK!

Pat’s comment “isn’t it amazing what we NOW think is CUTE!!!!”  LOL

YUP- I had to agree – she is adorable!!