Weather Delays Happen—Even for Pets—Tips to Weather the Storms.  2023 has been peppered with weather-related airline delays so far. Pet parents traveling with their pets in the passenger cabin and pets relocating to their new homes in temperature-controlled air cargo areas can be delayed by weather.

“Generally, pets under 22 pounds (10 kgs.) may travel in the passenger cabin. Larger pets travel in air cargo,” advised Walter M. Woolf, VMD, founder and CEO of Air Animal Pet Movers. “Many U.S. and international airlines only accept pets for air cargo transport when air temperatures are between 45 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 27 degrees Celsius) at origin, all transit points and the destination. These regulations assure pet safety.”

As a result, airlines cancel flights when temperatures along the route are below or above this window. If that happens. Air Animal’s team works with their clients and the airlines to re-book flights. As with delayed flights for people, out-of-pocket expenses may be required.”

Blizzards, cold snaps, storms and heat waves can cause havoc with carefully planned and anticipated pet moves. “We do all we can to plan ahead, but piloting the planes and controlling the weather are beyond our service package.”

Weather Delay Tips

Passenger Cabin

• When traveling with a pet in the passenger cabin, reduce food intake the day before travel.
• Bring along a collapsible water bowl and a small bag of the pet’s favorite treats along with a leash.
• Offer water often between flights and treats sparingly to avoid messes in the flight kennel.
• Research locations for all Service Animal Relief Areas in each airport along the route.

Air Cargo

• For pets traveling air cargo, reduce food intake the day before travel.
• Freeze water in the flight kennel bowls and add them to the kennel at air cargo.
• Add a T-shirt used by the pet’s favorite person or small comfort blanket to the kennel.
• Add cut up newsprint or newspapers to pad the kennel and help absorb accidents.
• Pack a small bag of the pet’s favorite treats in the human’s carry-on to treat the pet for entering the kennel and to say hi at the destination.

Pets and flight kennels are not always clean when they arrive after long flights or weather delays. A quick, pre-planned trip to a local groomer is a good idea for longer post-flight car trips. We have more quick links for pet parents moving or traveling with their pets for the first time.

Pet Moving Made Easy® is our passion, our focus and our promise to you. Our pet move managers know the drill, the routine and use their experience to de-stress thousands of pet moves every year.

A canine influenza outbreak is spreading across the southern  U.S.—Tennessee, Texas. South Carolina, Alabama and elsewhere. It can quickly spread around the world because more people now travel and relocate with their pets. Air Animal urges all dog parents to vaccinate their dogs against canine influenza before relocating, traveling or any visit outside the home.

“People take their dogs with them everywhere today,” warns Walter M. Woolf, VMD, founding veterinarian and CEO at Air Animal Pet Movers. “Going to the dog park, the veterinarian, the dog groomer or doggie daycare can expose your precious fur baby to canine influenza. Flu in dogs is potentially dangerous and very contagious. It does not currently pose a risk for people.”

Like flu in humans, canine influenza is spread through aerosols and respiratory droplets.

"Dog flu is easily prevented by vaccinating your dog with two doses of the canine flu vaccine,” Woolf explained. “Ask your veterinarian about the vaccine. The first shot provides partial immunity. The second shot given about two weeks later is a booster which gives stronger protection."

There are two types of canine influenza vaccines. Ask your veterinarian which she recommends.

• Zoetis – Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 3 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 7 days after the second shot.
• Merck – Nobivac CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 2 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second shot.

For people relocating overseas with their dogs, New Zealand, Australia and other countries now require dog flu vaccination, according to Woolf. These countries usually accept a recent booster shot if the documents show full previous immunization and the booster administration date.

Dogs that come down with the flu develop fevers and coughs that last one to three weeks. Dog parents may notice decreased appetite, lethargy and a greenish discharge from the nose and eyes. Some dogs develop higher fevers and pneumonia. Severe dog flu cases cause death.

For people traveling or taking their dogs anywhere outside the home--especially to an overseas destination—canine flue vaccination is an ounce of prevention that really is better than a pound of cure.

Learn more about country requirements for importing pets by using the resource menu at airanimal.com.

Dogs are really social animals. They experience much of their world through their noses. Dog flu is passed by aerosols in the air from infected dogs—that why it is extremely contagious and potentially dangerous to your precious pup. Stop dog flu by getting your fur baby vaccinated.

Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union are popular relocation destinations. All have made or are considering significant pet import rule changes.

Australia is considering increasing it's 10-day pet quarantine to 30 days. They may also require 180-day minimum residency in the origin country. Both changes will goes into effect in 2023 if approved.

The UK and EU have both updated their rabies vaccination policies. To enter with a pet you must show proof of a current rabies vaccination:

• The first vaccination after microchipping or any lapse in coverage is a “primary” vaccination and only valid for one year under the new rules--even if the pet received a three-year vaccine.
• If the primary lapses—even by one day--you must start over.
• If your pet receives its booster before the primary lapses, it is valid for one to three years depending on the vaccine manufacturer’s instructions.
• Pet parents are required to prove there was no lapse in rabies vaccination coverage since the primary vaccination.

 (Tampa and Orlando, FL--Nov. 9, 2022) Tropical storm Nicole is working her way across Freeport, Bahamas toward the East Coast of Florida. Officials in Orlando and Tampa have issued storm warnings. Air Animal's offices in Tampa and Orlando closed today at 3:30 p.m. to allow our team time to safely reach their homes. We will reopen at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11--Veteran's Day here in the USA.

If you have a pet move in progress and need to reach your pet move manager, please use the mobile number provided in your move documents. As long as we have cell service and electricity we will be able to assist you.

We don't fly the planes. We don't control the weather. We DO find ways around the challenges.

Your Air Animal Team

Chris Adams was born with congenital cataracts that led to glaucoma, scarring, corneal transplants and retinal issues beginning in her early 20s. For the past two decades, her vision went steadily downhill, and how on the “good days,” she can only see a little in her right eye. She had gone back to college to get a degree in elementary education so she could teach, but her eyesight became too limited and that didn’t seem possible. Nevertheless, she lived alone and felt mostly independent, except for one issue—she hated using a white cane.

That led to the decision to get her first guide dog, Liberty. With Liberty, Chris was able to run errands by herself and felt less reliant on her mother to be a sighted guide. After Liberty retired two years ago and went to Maine to live with Chris’s daughter, she found it difficult to live without a guide dog.

Now Chris is paired with a lovely new guide dog names Aero. “I am me again!” she says enthusiastically. “I’m not off on the sidelines of life anymore.” A wonderful companion, Aero is well-behaved, smart, and “a total snuggle bunny.” Like her handler, she loves to interact with people. Chris looks forward to their travels together and says happily, “We’re getting ready to get out there and be part of the world.”

Aero is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Air Animal Pet Movers who have helped 50,000 families and counting relocate their pets since 1977, most of which are on board commercial airlines. Naming this future superhero Aero aligns perfectly with their business.

© Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc., 2020. All right reserved. Used with permission.

Chris Adams & Aero

A man called Air Animal on Oct. 1 the day after Hurricane Ian tore through southwest Florida. He said he used Google to find help for his mother and her pet. Could we help his mother and her Yorkie board a flight to his home in Maryland the following day?

Karin lost her Ft. Myers home, her new car and everything to Hurricane Ian’s storm surge. She and her six-year-old Yorkie, Peppi, survived. They were found by local law enforcement wandering the streets seeking assistance after the storm. Getting Peppi on the airplane with Karin would take some doing. Peppi’s health records were destroyed when the veterinary practice washed away.

Melissa Salazar, one of Air Animal’s dedicated pet move managers, accepted the challenge. “When I got the call, I just knew we had to help her and Peppi,” she said. 

Melissa scheduled Peppi for a Saturday morning pet health certificate appointment at Air Animal’s Tampa office. Peppi received a new rabies vaccination and interstate health certificate along with a soft-sided travel carrier. All of Air Animal’s services were provided free of charge.

Karin and Peppi boarded their flight on time reuniting her with her son.

Ft. Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian

Our Tampa and Orlando offices are closed so our dedicated staff shelter safely during the hurricane. We expect to reopen on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 providing the storm surge recedes and utilities are operating.

Meanwhile, if you are relocating with your pet, please use our online request form (https://www.airanimal.com/proposal.cfm) to tell us more about your move. We will work through requests in order when our offices re-open.

If you are searching for pet travel options in North, Central and South America or the Caribbean, this article is for you. 

1. You are responsible for booking your own and your pet’s travel with your chosen airline for holiday, leisure travel and vacations. 
2. Before you purchase a non-refundable airline ticket or cruise, carefully research the destination entry requirements for your pet. Pet entry is controlled by the destination country regulations and customs officials. 
3. Pet parents who wish to use Air Animal's international pet health certificate service for pet immigration documents should request the service at least 21 days before departure using our online request form to allow for processing and scheduling a veterinary exam for the pet.
4. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has suspended dog import and travel from countries with a high risk of rabies. That includes many countries in South America. The process to return to the U.S. from any of these countries with a pet is difficult and extensive. Our blog about the CDC Dog Import Suspension has links you should read thoroughly before traveling with your pet.
5. Required pet travel health documents vary between airlines and from one destination to another. For example, Hawaii’s protocol requires a rabies antibody test before entry and no quarantine.
6. Before purchasing a non-refundable passenger ticket for leisure travel, use our list below. Find the airline with the pet travel and acceptance policy that allows you to take your pet as “cabin baggage” in the passenger compartment. Every passenger airline defines the number of pets eligible to fly as cabin baggage, their weight and size, and the permitted breeds and species. You’ll also find that airline passenger cabin policies differ—especially when it comes to the number of pets allowed in the passenger compartment.
7. This pet travel scenario includes families in the USA who take their pets with them to visit relatives overseas for special life events, weddings, graduations and religious holidays. The common requirements for international pet leisure travel are:

• An implanted microchip for pet verification
• A rabies vaccination at least 30 days old but not more than one year old
• An international health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and validated by the USDA within 10 days of flight. Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico do not require USDA endorsement for entry 
• Please note: Pets must have a microchip implanted before rabies vaccination when destinations require rabies vaccination documents. If your pet is not microchipped, the veterinarian can insert an International Standards Organization-compatible microchip appropriate for your destination and re-vaccinate the pet.

If you are relocating for job opportunities, career advancement, military PCS or returning to your home county, Air Animal is at your service. Thanks for your time and be safe out there!