Traveling With Your Pet

Introduction

This section provides information and tips about pet travel. Included is a list of books as well as a bibliography of articles that may give you helpful information about traveling with your pet. We have also provided links to general information on pet travel and to pet travel requirements from some major airlines.

OVERVIEW | ARTICLES | BOOKS | AIRLINES | LINKS

OVERVIEW

The best advice for traveling with your pet is to plan ahead. Have your pet checked by a veterinarian to make sure it is in good health for traveling. Be sure to take a copy of your pet's health certificate and proof of inoculation with you - these are required by many airlines and are also necessary when traveling to a foreign country. If you are traveling out of the country, please check with your travel carrier and the consulate of the country you'll be visiting for specific requirements well in advance. Many countries have quarantine laws regarding animals. Even within the U.S., it is wise to plan ahead, for example, Hawaii also has a quarantine law regarding animals entering the Islands.

Below you will find some resources which may provide you with more specific information as well as travel tips.

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ARTICLES

There is a great deal of information available about traveling with your pet. Below we have included a sample selection of articles from popular magazines and newspapers.

Cass, Maxine. " Traveling with your pet," Better Homes and Gardens, v. 72, August 1994, p. 136.
Finnegan, Lora J. " Flying with Fido," Sunset (Central West edition), v. 190, March 1993, p. 56-7.
Fuess, Theresa. " Boarding your pet ," Pet Column, June 30, 1997.
Fuess, Theresa. " Traveling with your best friend ," Pet Column, June 23, 1997.
Gerstenfeld, Sheldon L. " Have pet, will travel," Parents, v. 68, August 1993, p. 178+.
Gubernick, Lisa. " Dogs very welcome," Forbes, v. 155, March 13, 1995, p. 138+.
Many upscale hotels not only accept pets but provide special services such as grooming, room service with pet food, and dog walking.
Hahn, Joseph. " Horses travel too ," Pet Column, April 21, 1997.
Hogue, Vicki L. " On the road again," Ladies' Home Journal, v. 111, July 1994, p. 163.
Article includes brief travel tips such as planning frequent rest stops when traveling by car, using pet ID tags with name of destination and emergency contact numbers, etc.
Lyall, Sarah. " Travelers' pet peeve: Britain's 'jailing' of animals (quarantine law)," New York Times (Late New York Edition), October 2, 1996, p. A4.
Probst, Sarah. " Tips for flying with your pet ," Pet Column, June 21, 1999.
Siegel, Micki. " Taking pets on the road," Good Housekeeping, v. 218, June 1994, p. 104.
Brief article giving tips for traveling by car and by air with various types of pets including dogs, cats, birds, fish, mice, gerbils, hamsters, lizards, snakes, and rabbits.
Spadafori, Gina. " Can our dog go on vacation with us? (flying)," Modern Maturity, v. 36, April/May 1993, p. 84.
Sugarman, Aaron. " Pets on planes: too often it's a rough ride," Conde Nast Traveler, v. 27, June 1992, p. 27.
Vreeland, Leslie N. " On the road with Rover," Ladies' Home Journal, v. 109, May 1992, p. 200.
Short article giving pet travel tips and precautions.

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BOOKS

Aci, M. E. Nelson, editor. Travel with or withouth Pets. Annenburg Communications Institute, 1997.
Barish, Eileen. Drs. Foster and Smith's Guide to Traveling with Your Pet. 2nd ed. Pet-Friendly Publications, 1998.
Barish, Eileen. Vacationing with You Pet: Eileen's Directory of Pet-Friendly Lodging in the United States and Canada. Pet-Friendly Publications, 1999.

Previous title: Drs. Foster and Smith's Guide to Traveling with Your Pet: Eileen's Directory of Pet-Friendly Lodging. Pet-Friendly Publications, 1998.
Barrie, Anmarie. Cats and the Law . T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1990, p. 102-115. Call # 346.73047 B276C
This chapter covers legal aspects of traveling with cats including information for travel within the U.S. and international travel. Also covered are topics related to importing and exporting of cats.
Barrie, Anmarie. Dogs and the Law . T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1990, p. 69-80. Call # 346.73047 B276D
This chapter covers legal aspects of traveling with dogs including information about travel within the U.S., importing, exporting, and international travel.
Bauer, Nona Kilgore. Traveling with Dogs. TFH Publications, 1998.
Fish, Kathleen DeVanna and Robert N. Fish. Pets Welcome Series.
This series includes:
- Pets Welcome: A Guide to Hotels, Inns, and Resorts That Welcome You and Your Pet. Bon Vivant Press, 1998.
- Pets Welcome: A Guide to Hotels, Inns, and Resorts That Welcome You and Your Pet. Millennium Publishing Group, 1998.
- Pets Welcome SouthWest Edition: A Guide to Hotels, Inns, and Resorts That Welcome You and Your Pet. Bon Vivant Press, 1999.
- Pets Welcome: A Guide to Hotels, Inns, and Resorts That Welcome You and Your Pet: Pacific Northwest Edition. Bon Vivant Press, 1998.
Gallerstein, Gary A. with Heather Acker. The Complete Bird Owner's Handbook. Howell Book House, 1994, p. 41-48.

This section is titled 'Travel Tips.' It covers issues to be addressed when deciding whether or not to travel with your pet bird; in-home care while you're away; boarding options; and tips for traveling by car and by air.
Great Vacations for You and Your Dog Abroad. Martin Management Books, 1996.
Great Vacations for You and Your Dog: USA 99-00. Martin Management Books, 1999.
Habgood, Dawn. On the Road Again with Man's Best Friend. Dawbert Press.

Book series that offers selective guides to bed and breakfast inns, hotels, and resorts that welcome you and your dog. Books in this series cover the Southwest, New England, the West Coast, the Northwest, and the Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S.
Hanna, Jack and Mundis, Hester. Jack Hanna's Ultimate Guide to Pets. Putnam Pub. Group, 1996. Call # 636.0887 H195J
Includes a chapter on traveling with pets.
Have Pet Will Travel Guides. Brightmeadow, Inc.
This series publishes guides on traveling with pets by region in the United States. Examples of available titles are:
- Have Pet Will Travel Guide: South Central Region. 1st ed. Brightmeadow, 1999.
- Have Pet Will Travel Guide: South East Region. Brightmeadow, 1999.
Kelsey-Wood, Dennis and Nona Kilgore Bauer. Traveling with Dogs. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Chelsea House Publishers, 1998.
Nicholas, Barbara. The Portable Pet: How to Travel Anywhere with Your Dog or Cat. Harvard Common Press, 1990.
On the Road With Your Pet: Mobil 99 (Fodor's Travel Guides series). Fodor's Travel Publications; Mobil Oil Corp., 1999.

Includes directories of pet-friendly resaurants and lodgings and of kennels, pet-sitters, and veterinary referral agencies, as well as tips for traveling with pets and information on pet first aid.
Randolph, Mary. Dog Law. Nolo Press, 1994, chapter 6, p. 6/1 - 6/20. Call # KF390.5.D6 R361994
This chapter is titled Traveling with Dogs and covers some legal aspects of dog travel including various airline restrictions and liability limits. Also included is a checklist for air travel and some information about international restrictions.
Traveling with Your Pet 2000: The AAA Petbook. American Automobile Association, 2000.

Previous title: Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA Petbook: The AAA Guide to More than 10,000 Pet-Friendly, AAA Rated Lodgings Across the United States and Canada. 1999 edition.
Walters, Heather M. Take Your Pet Along: 1001 Places to Stay with Your Pet. Mce, 1997.
Whitaker, Barbara. Have Dog Will Travel Series
- Have Dog Will Travel: Oregon Edition. 1997.
- Have Dog Will Travel: Washington Edition: Where to Stay When Traveling with Your Dog: How to Make the Trip More Fun for Both of You. Ginger & S, 1999.

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AIRLINES

Many travel providers have specific restrictions as well as fees for animal travel, and these requirements may vary between airlines. For example one airline may allow different types of pets, such as hamsters and rabbits, to fly as carry-on baggage while another may only allow dogs, cats, and birds. Also many airlines have restrictions as to the number of animals per aircraft, the weight and dimensions of the pet carrier, etc. These requirements are subject to change so always plan ahead and talk directly to your travel provider to make arrangements for your pet. Below you will find links covering pet travel with several major airlines.