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Flying a dog as cargo
GnomeTank
What the what?Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
What the what?Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
So I've never done this, and the amount of work it seems to entail is making my head swim, so has anyone done this? Basically my best friend has been keeping one of my Corgi's while I moved from Texas to the pacific Northwest, and I'm in a position to get him back. He's too big to fly under a seat, or I'd just go get him myself. So I have to fly him cargo. It seems to be a big pain in the ass. I understand the flight certificate from a vet, no issue. But then I am reading if it's over 85 degrees on the tarmac, they won't load live animals? So...this is Texas, the only time it's under 85 degrees is later at night, so I guess I need to get him a flight late at night? I am assuming an airlines cargo group can coordinate this with me?
The kennel guidelines seem to be crazy as well. Will a basic plastic + metal door kennel from your basic pet supply store work? It's larger, because Corgi's are long and short. To lay down comfortably his kennel has to be pretty big, so I think it meets all the "Get up, turn around, sit up" kind of requirements.
Food and water is another thing. He eats very specific food, but all the guidelines I've read state is that he needs attached food and water bowls that can be reached from the outside (so I assume affixed to the metal door), and that they should be empty. Water is fine, but I don't want them to just feeding him whatever. Do I need to affix a bag of his food or something to the crate? Or are they just going to feed him purina? It won't kill him, I am just picky.
I guess I'm just looking for first hand experience with this. I've read all the various airline pages and guidelines, but they don't give the fullest of picture of how this works in the real world.
The kennel guidelines seem to be crazy as well. Will a basic plastic + metal door kennel from your basic pet supply store work? It's larger, because Corgi's are long and short. To lay down comfortably his kennel has to be pretty big, so I think it meets all the "Get up, turn around, sit up" kind of requirements.
Food and water is another thing. He eats very specific food, but all the guidelines I've read state is that he needs attached food and water bowls that can be reached from the outside (so I assume affixed to the metal door), and that they should be empty. Water is fine, but I don't want them to just feeding him whatever. Do I need to affix a bag of his food or something to the crate? Or are they just going to feed him purina? It won't kill him, I am just picky.
I guess I'm just looking for first hand experience with this. I've read all the various airline pages and guidelines, but they don't give the fullest of picture of how this works in the real world.
Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: BrainlingOh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
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Being Canada, we did Air Canada but we didn't have to do food or water. Only certain crates were allowed (most pet stores will say if they are cargo ready) but there wasn't anything too complex with it. Your on the right track talking with Delta directly because every company will be different.
Just be ready for a FREAKED out animal once you get it. We left the cat in the crate until we got home and took it out in the bathroom with us locked in there. Let it decompress from a bad flight.
I'm going to warn you now that they airlines are extra strict with the rules, they will NOT let you fly the dog even at 85.1 degrees because "that's over 85" according to the american airlines manager. My dog was born on St.Kitts (where it's almost never below 85 and is generally 90-100 every day) and lived there for 3 years before I brought her back to the states, and even though we were traveling with a Vet they wouldn't let her fly above 85 degrees no matter how many wavers we offered to sign or had signed by a vet. Also, they will not let you fly if you don't have enough food (there may be delays and if your dog starved it'd be a huge legal issue for them) or even if the veterinary write off is a copy and not an original. As for the crate, they make special FAA approved crates that have easy attach bowls and things.
Also, my dog HATED flying and was looking at me funny for days after the flight and drive. I would really recommend not traveling with a dog to everyone ever because it's a super giant headache. That being said, it is nice to have my dog around.
I had a late flight from Dallas to arrive early morning in Seattle, I got the vet certificate and vaccination records. I got a crate, which you have to secure the gate of the crate I used zip ties which they just cut off in security checked the crate and put their own zip ties on it.
You just have to be lucky in regards to the temp, I almost had to reschedule because it was 2 degrees too cold in Seattle. Even though I would be arriving when it would be warmer. Fortunately after an hour the temp went up and I proceeded through. This was probably the most stressful flight I have ever undertaken. I remember having to have water but I dont think I had to have food and this was on American Airlines, so maybe they have changed their rules. I was also transporting my mother who had to have an oxygen concentrator, which was a whole nother level of BS. This was around this same time of year as well, weird.
www.wemovepets.com/
I didn't see a price calculator there but I did some google searching and it looks like relocating your corgi would cost somewhere between $500 and $1000
It's done in climate controlled storage and it's all ground transport.
It may be out of your price range, but I thought I'd throw it out there. They seem to be based in the continental US and have several branches scattered across the nation.
453 for the flight, and all the airports involved are "Summer Pet Program" airports, meaning I don't need to worry about the temp at all, they make sure everything is good with that, keeping him in climate control the whole way. Gonna book this flight in the next day or two.
Thanks for the all the advice everyone. I'll post pictures when he gets here
That's why the airline would deny the pet if it was. Does Delta do advanced payment for pet as cargo? Also, always take the earliest flight possible as it gives you more leeway in terms of missed connections/delays.
Yes, they do advanced payment, out to 14 days. Also, because all the airports are part of their Summer Pet Program, I was pretty distinctly told delays due to temperature wouldn't be an issue. Only like, actual normal delays, would be a problem. I guess the 85 degree rule only applies if the dogs aren't kept in climate control until just before take off. It's when they are going to be sitting on the tarmac for hours that the rule applies. With the Summer Pet Program, the participating airports specifically have facilities for housing the pets until just before take off.
All good experiences though! Once the kennel was actually "too big" to fit into the aircraft, so they let both my friends dogs fly coach! A 80 Lab/Shep mix and a 110 lb labradoodle. Yeah, fun times.