If a new puppy or kitten has made it onto your gift list, give a gift that amps up anticipation and participation instead of bringing the cute little fur baby home during the holidays, advises Air Animal Pet Movers. 

Cory Robinette, Air Animal’s COO, recommends fulfilling holiday pet wishes this way. “Buy a beautiful plush puppy or kitten toy and give it with a card promising to contact a local breeder after the holidays when you can choose that real puppy or kitten together. Local animal shelters and breed rescue groups may also have that perfect pet just waiting for you. You may also find some post-holiday sales on dishes, leashes, beds, scratching posts and toys for your new fur baby,” Robinette adds.

“Puppies and kittens are babies. They need to bond with their pet parents, potty-train and learn the house rules. That means lots of play time and repeating the routines over and over. Keeping fur babies out of the holiday decorations and making sure they don’t eat something dangerous like chocolate or poinsettias is a full-time occupation. Bringing a fur baby home when celebrations slow down after the New Year can work a lot better,” says Walter M. Woolf, veterinarian founder and CEO of Air Animal Pet Movers.

There are thousands of Internet ads selling cute puppies and kittens or offering rescued pets during the holidays. Sadly, these ads often set-up cybercrime. “The Internet is full of imitators and fraudsters offering fake rescued pets, Siberian husky puppies, Yorkies, bulldogs, Capuchin monkeys, parrots and other boutique animals. Don’t be fooled by pet scams!” warns Robinette. “We get calls all the time from people who have been scammed. They think we are transporting their pet purchase from the fake breeder. It breaks our hearts.”

Acquiring that new member of your family through an internet purchase may look good. Caveat emptor---buyer beware. 

There are ways pet lovers can effectively fight back if they have been scammed. Check out Air Animal’s Don’t Be Fooled page. It’s regularly updated when new pet scams pop up.

Best bets to get a pet after the holidays:

1. To buy a puppy or kitten through a breeder, shop local first. Take your time. Thoroughly check their references and reviews. Avoid Internet come-ons and scams.
2. Find registered puppy breeders through the American Kennel Club. 
3. Locate reputable kitten breeders through The International Cat Association or the Cat Fanciers’ Association.
4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses or registers every breeder, dealer, pet transporter or carrier. Check their registration with the USDA before sending money.
5. Nearby animal shelters or rescue organizations are also excellent places to adopt a fur baby needing a home. Some of the rescue operations specialize in specific breeds.

Six months after COVID-19 closed much of the world, pets are moving internationally. Many clients are anxious, stressed and concerned about moving their pets during a global pandemic, according to Walter M. Woolf, veterinarian founder of Air Animal Pet Movers.

“In June 2005 Air Animal received 7,500 calls because the USA implemented the Safe Animal Transportation Act. Then one of the major airlines stopped taking pets. I had been the chairperson of the advisory task force to the Congressional joint resolutions committee responsible for reconciling the House and Senate versions before the act passed. The law was and continues to be the cornerstone keeping pets safe during air transport. Over time the number of pets relocating internationally with their owners skyrocketed. The state of international pet moving in September 2020 is all about capacity. It’s about air cargo space on passenger and special freight flights. And it’s about staffing at animal receiving centers throughout the world,” Woolf said.

The United Kingdom’s main pet import center at Heathrow airport has limited the number of pets that can arrive each day because COVID-19 is challenging their staffing. When a staff member becomes ill, contact tracing means several colleagues must quarantine as well. Because pet air cargo flights can only be scheduled two weeks ahead, the incoming slots at Heathrow are often already full. The situation requires a lot of back and forth for pet move managers, receiving center staff and relocating pet owners. This story is repeated at pet import centers around the world.

“We understand that cancelled flights, cancelled pet bookings, rescheduling travel and continually changing agendas are very frustrating. We always work with relocating pet parents to make sure their pets reach their new homes safely even though neither they nor Air Animal’s dedicated pet move managers control pandemic lock-downs, weather or airline schedules.

“Air Animal’s experienced pet move managers and client services team deal with the details so our clients don’t have to,” said Cory Robinette, Air Animal chief operating officer.

“We appreciate our clients’ understanding, their patience and their trust. Air Animal cares deeply about the pets our clients entrust to our care. Pet Moving Made Easy®. It’s our focus, our passion, our promise and our clients’ peace of mind. Always has been – always will be,” she added.

In late July, the first dog to test positive for a COVID-19 infection in the United State died. The veterinarians who reviewed the dog’s records say the likely cause of death was a cancer called lymphoma which was not diagnosed until after the dog died.

Dr. John Howe, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, appeared on WNBC-TV (New York City) and said, “It’s extremely unlikely that a pet is going to get COVID-19.” 

Pets are highly unlikely to transmit the virus to people even if it gets on their skin or fur, according to the Mayo Clinic. Mayo and the AVMA advise against using disinfectants, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on pets. They also advise there is no reason to cover pets’ faces.

People with COVID-19 may spread the virus to animals. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that pet owners who are sick limit their interactions with their pets.

Getting from Tampa to St. Petersburg, FL before 1914 took five-hours by train, or a slow steamboat across the bay.

Enter Tony Jannus, a famous pilot and barnstormer known for his adventurous stunts. In 1912 he set a new record for an overwater flight between the two cities. This caught the attention of businessmen Percival Fansler, invested in Jannus’ “flying boats” creating a commercial route.

The first ticket was bought at auction for $400. The first flight took place Jan. 1, 1914 in front of 3,000 aviation fans. The Benoist plane took 23 minutes to reach Tampa from St. Petersburg, FL on a 75 horsepower engine traveling about 60 miles per hour. A propeller blade monument in the park near the corner of Bayshore Blvd. and Platt St. commemorates the landing.

Fansler addressed the crowd when the airboat arrived. “What was impossible yesterday is an accomplishment today, while tomorrow heralds the unbelievable.”

The Airboat Line’s commercial fares were $5 one way. Jannus made two flights a day. The airline booked charters to Egmont Key, Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater and other nearby waterfront locations.

In the twenties, Florida was booming. Eddie Rickenbacker established Florida Airways in 1926. The airline had four planes that could carry eight passengers and two crewmembers. According to the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, fares were based on railroad fares plus $5 for each hour saved. It cost $30 to ride the train from Jacksonville to Tampa and $70 by plane because the plane saved 8 hours. Florida Airways served Miami, Ft. Myers, Tampa, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Macon. No pets—yet.

Photo: Janus is pictured at the helm of one of the Benoist planes. (Photo from the State Archives of Florida).

Sources: “Tampa 100,” (Aug. 27, 2020), “Exploring Florida, University of South Florida” (http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/aviation/aviation.htm#)

Australia and New Zealand require dogs to test negative for Ehrlichia canis before entering the countries. This tick-borne disease is not contagious to people.

This beautiful yellow Labrador retriever named Aero is enrolled in Southeastern Guide Dog preschool and proudly sponsored by Air Animal® Pet Movers.

Charity of Choice

Aero recently went home with her puppy raiser to start her journey toward superhero status! Aero’s volunteer puppy raiser will be spending the next year teaching basic obedience and house manners until Aero is ready to come back to Southeastern Guide Dogs for evaluations and formal training.

Southeastern Guide Dogs serves those who cannot see and those who have seen too much. Southeastern Guide Dogs offer dogs and services at no cost to people who need them across the United States. Their breeding and training facility in Palmetto, Florida is one of the most advanced in the world. They raise and train “elite working dogs that provide life-changing services for people with vision loss, veterans with disabilities and children with significant challenges such as vision loss or the loss of a parent in the military.” Training and caring for one dog for life is a $60,000 investment.

Our staff toured the campus and attended “Beyond the Dark” to understand more about the organization, its mission and its capabilities. Watch our News Blog for occasional Pupdates!

Many airlines halt pet moves during the hottest months of the year to keep pets safe.

Generally, pet moves may be restricted April through October in the Northern Hemisphere and October through March in the Southern Hemisphere. That means pets can’t fly if the ground temperature at the departure or destination is higher than 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the breed and the airline. Our pet move managers create safe plans to move pet pals. Nothing is impossible. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time and a lot of creativity.

For your convenience our online request for proposal is available anytime 24/7. No need to call. When you submit a request, you'll hear from your assigned pet move manager in a timely manner based upon the move date you select.