Dog Travel

spiritdogs

I heard on the news that John Travolta's two dogs were killed by a piece of equipment on an airport tarmac as they were being taken for a potty break

That is awful.  No experience with flying dogs here.

I used UShip.com to find someone willing to drive Apollo from GA to Boston. The guy (Simon) was unreal- in a GOOD way. He transported custom sailboats from the South (usually Florida) to New England. I was desperate for help and he answered my plea. He picked Apollo up from the rural kill shelter, gave them $20 for his adoption fee, drove him to a hotel that allowed dogs and bathed Apollo there (because he had pee/poop on him), bought him food/treats and a toy, leash, and collar, he had a crate for Apollo too but I guess Apollo didn't want to go in it so he bought a blanket and let him sleep on it in the back seat, and he called me multiple times on the 19 hour drive to let me know how my boy was doing. I guess he had recently lost his dog so he liked having the company of Apollo, and he was just an all-around very nice guy. He didn't charge too much either; $350, and he dropped him off 20mins from our house. Amazing experience.

 But, I have read horror stories of dogs being transported by air and vans.

BlackLabbie

I used UShip.com to find someone willing to drive Apollo from GA to Boston. The guy (Simon) was unreal- in a GOOD way. He transported custom sailboats from the South (usually Florida) to New England. I was desperate for help and he answered my plea. He picked Apollo up from the rural kill shelter, gave them $20 for his adoption fee, drove him to a hotel that allowed dogs and bathed Apollo there (because he had pee/poop on him), bought him food/treats and a toy, leash, and collar, he had a crate for Apollo too but I guess Apollo didn't want to go in it so he bought a blanket and let him sleep on it in the back seat, and he called me multiple times on the 19 hour drive to let me know how my boy was doing. I guess he had recently lost his dog so he liked having the company of Apollo, and he was just an all-around very nice guy. He didn't charge too much either; $350, and he dropped him off 20mins from our house. Amazing experience.

 But, I have read horror stories of dogs being transported by air and vans.

I'm sure there are more decent truckers like Simon out there who would be willing to make a little extra cash doing this - wonder why I didn't think of it back when I was driving:-))

I know someone who runs a shipping business and often uses their trucks and drivers to pull and transport rescues.  Often it is cheaper/easier to pull a dog and pay for it to be boarded and wait for the next truck than have to organize an immediate transport or pay someone else.  I've done this end twice - pull the dog from the shelter, bring it to the vet for exam and get it settled at the vet for boarding.

I think there are risks to any form of transportation.  Nikon's breeder flies with dogs back and fourth to Germany probably six or more times a year, and crossing the Pond you don't exactly have any options other than flight.  The only issue I've heard of was recently she had two bitches along and for some reason they didn't like the paperwork on one, so she was held in quarantine by the airport while my friend was going about her business.  For me, I simply can't afford to fly anywhere myself let alone with dogs, but we do take our dogs on road trips.

spiritdogs

BlackLabbie

I used UShip.com to find someone willing to drive Apollo from GA to Boston. The guy (Simon) was unreal- in a GOOD way. He transported custom sailboats from the South (usually Florida) to New England. I was desperate for help and he answered my plea. He picked Apollo up from the rural kill shelter, gave them $20 for his adoption fee, drove him to a hotel that allowed dogs and bathed Apollo there (because he had pee/poop on him), bought him food/treats and a toy, leash, and collar, he had a crate for Apollo too but I guess Apollo didn't want to go in it so he bought a blanket and let him sleep on it in the back seat, and he called me multiple times on the 19 hour drive to let me know how my boy was doing. I guess he had recently lost his dog so he liked having the company of Apollo, and he was just an all-around very nice guy. He didn't charge too much either; $350, and he dropped him off 20mins from our house. Amazing experience.

 But, I have read horror stories of dogs being transported by air and vans.

 

I'm sure there are more decent truckers like Simon out there who would be willing to make a little extra cash doing this - wonder why I didn't think of it back when I was driving:-))

Simon seemed really happy to do it, and he (most importantly) seemed to love Apollo- he got down on his knees, hugged Apollo, wished Apollo luck, and handed me the leash- it was really touching.

It's very sad that something like this could happen.

I have a lot of experience traveling with animals, but fortunately everything has always been successful.

Traveling with dogs can be such an adventure, but yeah, it definitely comes with its challenges! The discussion here brings up some great points about making sure your pup is comfortable and safe, especially on long trips. One thing that’s helped me a lot is planning ahead—not just for pet-friendly stays, but also for flights and bookings in general. If you're looking for good travel deals and flexibility, I’d definitely recommend checking out Chatdeal reviews chatdeal.pissedconsumer.com/review.html They’ve been a solid option for finding affordable and reliable bookings, which is a lifesaver when traveling with pets. Hope everyone’s trips with their furry friends go smoothly!