As we are now officially in 2009, Puppy Travel wants you to know how committed we are to the business of pet travel! Reflecting on 2008, we learned many things. First and foremost we know for sure that shipping pets for people is the equivalent to shipping children. Much care and planning must be taken in account to assure the safe and complete travel of a pet from one destination to another.
We moved pets for many incredible people in 2008. People who were relocating to an international destination for their work, for family moves and for the start of a new chapter in their lives; many had lived without their pets with them and were finally shipping them.. We had one client in particular who lost her husband to a terrible crime and then lost her dogs too. It was heartbreaking and one that we will never quite understand. Many families with young children were reconnected with their family pets after having to leave them behind a first to get settled in their new homes. For Puppy Travel 78-80% of the clients we work with are repeat or referrals from former clients. We love what we do and take good care in trying out best to make your furry loved one’s journey as safe and well planned for as possible in today’s turbulent travel environments.
The article published today on MSNBC titled “9 ways to tell if your travel pro is crooked” is timely and worth reading. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27997706/
As a consumer you must always be careful on who you are doing business with – especially on the internet. I have been a PET TRAVEL agent for 6 years and a travel agent for 25 years. Here are some additional suggestions that you want to consider when choosing a PET TRAVEL AGENT:
1-Ask for referrals of former clients.
Your pet travel agent should be more than willing to release this information for you!
2-Ask if the company/agency you are dealing with is associated with IPATA.
The Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association International, Inc www.ipata.com
3-Ask your veterinarian for referrals of pet travel agencies/companies that they have had other clients and their pets work with.
4-Find out if your pet travel agent will be available at all times when your pet is traveling.
Do not be afraid to inquire exact details about your pet’s travel. What airline they are traveling on, how long they will be in transit, how your pet will be handled at the airport and on all connections while in transit etc…ASK!
5-Call the USDA Veterinary services in the state your agency is located to see if they have worked with this company in the past. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/
The USDA will not give ‘referrals’ but they can advise you on whether they have worked with representatives of this company in the past when preparing international shipments of pets.
6-Find out if the agency/company you are dealing with has a current BUSINESS LICENSE in the county where they are doing business!
It’s o.k. to be a home based business…but you are still required to have a license to do business.
7-Inquire from the agency/company you are intending to do business with what their IRS TAX I.D. is.
These are just a few suggestions!
Be careful and Happy Traveling!
If by chance President Elect OBAMA and his family need to have their new puppy shipped to the White House let them know that Puppy Travel will ship it to them for free. Yes the offer is out there if they so choose. We feel so strongly that they get a dog and get it as soon as possible that we are more than happy to ship the dog to them at our expense.
Best wishes to the family in their puppy selection process…
I voted today for the next President of the United States. It is the ultimate exercise of our individual freedom. It was a hard decision. The country is in a bad way. The war looms on. People are unhappy. As a small business owner, I feel the pain. My 401K is shrinking and I find myself being more careful about where company assets go. The world of travel is changing all the time. Airlines are merging and or going under. Flights and schedules are being reduced all the time. Aircraft are aging due to budget restraints. We have to check exact day of travel all the time for our pet traveling clients to be sure the aircraft is still large enough and acceptable for safe pet travel. My clients are all pet lovers and very special people. They will go to any length to do what is best for their pets and to have them with them wherever they are living…if it is at all possible.
When it came down to whom to vote for…I voted for the pet person. What shows you more about a person’s character than their love or lack there of pets? Made it easy for me; if you’re still undecided go to GOOGLE and search to see which candidate has a pet or even more than one….and which candidate has NO PETS.
Wisdom usually does not fall from high places. The mighty and the splendid have taught me little. I have learned more from my dog than from all the great books I have read. The wisdom of my dog is the product of his inability to conceal his wants. When he yearns to be loved, there is no pouting in the corner. There are no games entitled “Guess what is the matter with me.” He puts his head on my lap, wags his tail and looks up at me with kind eyes, waiting to be petted. No professor or sage ever told me I might live a more successful life if I simply asked for love when I needed it. Gerry Spence
Many people are intrigued when I tell them what I do, “You book travel for pets?” It sounds fun and easy…but it is anything but. If you are shipping a pet to any international destination you will not regret hiring a professional who knows what they are doing & has experience doing it.
You rarely hear of anyone using a ‘travel agent’ to do their travel any more. Travelers are willing to exhaust their time shuffling from site to site on the internet to book their travel. For a simple trip that may work for you; if you are traveling with a pet that will not work for you-well it might but be prepared to spend a great amount of time on making sure you have good information and all the details are taken care of. If you value your time and need to ship or travel internationally with your pet family, call a PET TRAVEL AGENT! It’s worth it!
Just take a moment to read this article on MSNBC.COM dealing with traveler’s complaints….{I couldn’t see any complaints directed at TRAVEL AGENTS} http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26679950/
With the airlines adding so many additional costs to traveling these days, it is still possible to take your pet with you-but it is going to cost a little more. Sandy Robin’s article on MSNBC.COM published today-June 25, 2008 explains the basic rates that each airline is charging domestically these days to fly with you pet: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25333275/
She also explains some of the airline ‘perks’ that are offered with mileage programs for pets. The airlines have really fine tuned their policies and procedures for taking pets but you still need to know what to do to prepare your pet for the journey and if you are traveling to an international destination, you must be extra diligent in your pet planning.
It is well worth your money to pay a professional to help you plan your pet’s travel. Did you know that you cannot import a pet directly from the USA to Barbados? Well you can but are you prepared for quarantine expenses when your pet arrives? Did you also know that you need a ‘Commercial EU Pet Certificate’ when sending a pet into Finland-even though it is a family pet and has no commercial value what so ever? You can take your pet to Hawaii now if you prepare properly in advance according to the guidelines set down by the local government of Hawaii. And you can take your pet with you in the cabin of the aircraft if you want…however you will be hard pressed to find an airline that will allow this….The only one that allowed it was ATA and they have ceased service.
So, call a pet travel agent…it is so worth it!
Visit www.puppytravel.com to see what services you can receive and be sure and take the time to read the “on-line testimonials!” Don’t you just love your pet?
Just when I thought I had heard most everything! I have been an airline reservation agent, a travel agent, a corporate travel manager and now a travel agency owner and thought there was no longer a question that would really amaze me. However…..I got one the other day. A woman called to see how much it would cost to ship her cat from San Diego to Kansas City. I advise her of the estimated amount. She paused and asked me “Do you know if the U.S. Postal Service will let you send a cat in the mail?” I literally was speechless for about 10 seconds…thinking did she just ask me what I THINK she asked me? I quietly said “No.” What do you think PETA would have to say about that?
It was reported by the government recently that “Money lost in Internet crimes hit a new high last year, topping about $240 million”. It also stated that one of the biggest scams on the Internet is fraud that involves pets. You do have to be careful! Any pet shipper and/or pet travel agent in the United States can tell you of stories from clients and colleagues where people were completely ripped off by using an on-line company to purchase a pet. A big part of this scam is the actual shipping of the pet to you the buyer. Scammers have been known to use the names of established pet shipping companies. They tell the buyer that their purchased pet is being delivered by one of these companies…when in fact it is a total lie. As pet shippers we are very aware of these scams and do all we can to sort them out and get them off the internet. If you need to use a pet shipper or pet travel agent here are things you need to look for:
1-Are they a member & in good standing with IPATA-International Pet and Animal Transportation Association? www.ipata.com
2-Does the company offer references of past clients whom you can contact independently if requested?
3-Does the company that works with the animals have a USDA handler’s license?
4-Can the company answer specifically all questions regarding the transportation of your pet from origination to destination?
5-How long have they been in business and can they document this information for you?
Be careful and do your homework! There are WONDERFUL companies that ship animals all over the world…just make sure you know who they are!
Pet Travel Consultations are so WORTH IT Many individuals these days are thinking that they can go ahead and plan their pet’s travel on their own-directly with the airlines.That is true you can…but how much patience do you have? With summer around the corner you need to remember that not all airlines accept pets in the summer months and some have some very stringent restrictions regarding temperatures. Did you know that Puppy Travel is the only full service pet travel agency for passengers and their pets in the United States? We are very experienced and we know what we are doing. If you are traveling internationally with your pet you are definitely going to want our help.Remember in the ‘good ole days’ when you needed to go somewhere you picked up the phone can called your travel agent?
If you are traveling with your pet….look no further…contact your pet’s travel agent! www.puppytravel.com
Coming soon: Send us a photo of your pet and get a discount on a quote! What a deal!
United Airlines annouced that they intend to charge passengers for their checked bags that exceed one. As a pet travel agent-one who works exclusively with pet travel I agree with the new policy. When you ship a pet as ‘cargo’ the rates are based on dimensional volume-how much space is used for the crate inside the aircraft belly. Anyone who has shipped a pet via cargo knows that the rates are pricey. When you travel and see people checking in their bags that look big enough to contain a twin sized mattress, why should they get to pay nothing when you pay $300+ to ship a 3 LB Maltese puppy on an international flight?
Maybe next they will ban all carry-on bags that exceed 5 lbs…wouldn’t that be cool? Just think how much faster they could board and deplane the passengers!
