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Pets take to the road
If their owners prepare carefully, most four-legged family members can join in the vacation fun. Here’s how.
By Allan Fallow

More and more travelers are hitting the road with pets in tow. According to a 1996 American Animal Hospital Association survey, 53 percent of pet owners vacation or travel with a pet. In 1994, the latest date for which statistics are available, 44 percent of American Hotel and Motel Association members accepted pets. While not all pets are potential travelers—some animals can’t handle the stress—careful planning can make the trip for both of you.

 
Traveling by air
It’s essential to acclimate your pet to its crate. When ASPCA animal-travel expert Kathi Travers was told she was being transferred to California, she had 30 days to accustom her newest dog, Diamond, to a crate. “For the first few days,” she recalls, “I didn’t put the top on. Then I started putting Diamond in with the top on. Finally, I put her toys in with her and shut the door.”

 
If your pet is small, it may be able to travel in the cabin under the seat in front of you. Check with the airline in advance. The animal’s crate must have fresh water and be large enough to allow the pet to stand up, turn around, and lie down unimpeded. Most animal experts strongly oppose sedating pets before a flight. Tranquilizers tend to raise or lower respiration, occasionally with disastrous effect.

 
Temperature extremes pose a problem for pets traveling by air. United States Department of Agriculture rules state that a pet must not be kept at temperatures above 85°F (29°C) or below 45°F (7°C) for more than 45 minutes. Dr. Patricia Olson, director of veterinary affairs for the American Humane Association, urges booking nonstop flights that are least likely to involve temperature extremes and checking with the airline several hours before flight time to make sure weather conditions will permit pet travel.

 
Road trips
Given the logistical thickets of moving an animal by air—plus the fact that 80 percent of all U.S. travel is by car—it’s no surprise that most pets take road trips. (Amtrak, Greyhound, and most cruise ships allow only guide dogs.) Being a good car passenger, however, does not come naturally to all cats and dogs. “Cats can get skittish in a moving vehicle. They usually do best in crates—preferably draped with a cloth, to block the sight of scenery whizzing by,” explains Dr. Jay Geasling, president of the American Animal Hospital Association.

 
Dog in car
Photograph by Albert Moldvay
Canines can be ideal car companions, especially when acclimated to vehicles as puppies. To introduce a grown dog to car travel, Dr. Geasling recommends a program similar to that for flying: “A few months before the trip, start out by sitting together in the car, with the engine off. Then graduate to sitting there with the engine running. Slowly build up to taking short rides, and finally long rides.”

 
Before you leave on a big trip, it’s a good idea to visit the vet to get a clean bill of health for your fellow traveler about ten days before you depart. (If an infectious disease is found, the animal will have to be hospitalized until well.) Request a written record showing the pet’s weight, inoculations, and medications in case you have to document these for an out-of-town vet or border authorities. On the day of travel, give the critter a light meal and a chance to relieve itself before getting into the car.

 
Safety precautions en route
It is imperative that a pet wear a collar and ID tag at all times during the trip. Dr. Leininger suggests writing emergency numbers on masking tape placed on the back of the tag—numbers for contacts likely to be reachable. While driving, keep the animal in its crate; uncontrolled pets may be a dangerous distraction. Some vehicles, such as station wagons, can use a wire-mesh divider instead, a strategy recommended by the ASPCA. As for leaving an animal in a car, don’t. Scores of dognappings occur every year. And with the windows rolled up, the interior of a car parked in the shade on an 85°F (29°C) day can reach 120°F (49°C) in just 30 minutes.

 
Internet Resource
ASPCA: Car Travel with Your Pet
 
Organizations
Air Transport Association
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20004, U.S.A.
  • Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for a free copy of “Air Travel for Your Dog or Cat.”

  •  
    American Humane Association
    63 Inverness Drive East
    Englewood, Colorado 80112, U.S.A.
  • Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for a free copy of “Pet Ownership Facts.”

  •  
    ASPCA
    424 East 92nd Street
    New York, New York 10128, U.S.A.
    Telephone +1 212 876 7700
  • Request free information on traveling by car or plane with your dog, cat, or bird.

  •  
    American Veterinary Medical Association
    1931 North Meacham Road
    Schaumburg, Illinois 60173, U.S.A.
  • Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for a free copy of “What You Should Know About Traveling with Your Pet.”

  •  
    Publications
    Accommodations Offering Facilities for Your Pet
    (AAA PetBooks; +1 407 321 7425; four guides covering the U.S. and Canada)

     
    DogGone: The Newsletter about Fun Places to Go and Cool Stuff to Do with Your Dog
    (+1 561 569 8434; doggonenl@aol.com)

     
    The Dog Lover’s Companion series
    (Foghorn Press; +1 415 241 9550 or 800 FOGHORN. Covers California, Florida, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Seattle)

     
    On the Road Again with Man’s Best Friend by Dawn and Robert Habgood
    (Frommer’s guide, available in many bookstores; seven regional guides.)

     
    Take Your Pet USA: A Guide of Accommodations for Pets and Their Owners by Arthur Frank
    (+1 617 267 9022 or 800 255 8038)

     
    Vacationing with Your Pet: Eileen’s Directory of Pet-Friendly Lodging by Eileen Barish
    (+1 602 483 6000 or 800 496 2665; other titles on California, Arizona, New York and Texas)
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