Transporting a pet from one state to another doesn’t have to mean your pet has to fly alone. There are alternative methods of pet transportation and you can even hire a pet care professional to FLY with your pet to make sure they’re boarded on the plane and to make sure they don’t sit on the tarmac or in the cargo hold unnecessarily after the plane lands.
If you have a small pet, they could possibly ride with the person instead of being separated which is great if your pet has a medical condition and needs constant monitoring.
Transporting a pet by vehicle is also another option. Professional pet transportation companies and professional pet sitting companies, like us, will gladly drive your beloved pet to the destination of your choosing. With this type of transportation, your pet is constantly with their caregiver, which is great for pets that can’t fly due to size, health, breed, etc.
Safety Checklist For Transporting A Pet
These are questions and situations that we deal with when transporting pets and what we recommend you think about and ask when you’re trying to find a pet transportation company.
-Make sure business has a current website, contact information and phone number. Do they have PET TRANSPORTATION/PET TAXI listed on their website? Do they list your type of pet? If not, that’s ok, still inquire about it…maybe they just haven’t updated their website.
-Look at the reviews and recommendations on Google, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Angie’s List and other social media sites. Caution: Anyone can submit reviews on these sites so if you see something negative, remember there’s always two sides to a story and maybe what the poster wrote isn’t necessarily the truth. This can be said for positive reviews as well so our recommendation is to see if the person is an ACTUAL client or just someone spreading positive remarks.
-Call the pet transportation business. Did they answer? If not did they have a voicemail set up with their business information? If you left a message, did they call you back? In a timely fashion?
-Once you talk to the representative from the pet transportation business, ask:
:How long have they been in business
:How many pets have they transported and from what states and to what states.
:Ask if they transport more than one pet at a time.
:Ask about the vehicle. Is it a car, SUV, van, truck or RV? What year is it?
:While talking to the representative, are they asking you questions about your pet(s)? If not, that should raise a concern.
:Ask about their insurance policy. Does it cover pet transportation?
:Ask about their emergency back-up plan. What would happen if there’s a car accident while they are transporting a pet? Would they keep your pet with them or have to make other arrangements?
:Ask if the pets are in crates while they’re in the vehicle.
:Ask how the pet is delivered to them. Do you need to meet them somewhere to deliver the pet?
:Once your pet has made it to their destination, who picks them up?
:Ask how often they take dogs out for potty breaks.
:Will your pet have water and food available at all times or will they be restricted while en route?
:How do they handle pets that get car sick?
:For kitties and other small pets, ask if they remove them at all from the crate while they’re being transported.
:Ask about fees. When are they due? Ask what would cause the fees to change after they’ve booked services. (If there’s a car accident and your pet needs to be placed in a kennel or boarding situation temporarily, who pays for that?)
:Does they person ask you questions and seem genuinely interested in helping you?
After you’ve spoken to them about transporting a pet, how do you feel? Did you feel like they listened to you and understood your questions?
In addition to the normal reasons we transport pets, there’s situations that arise that you may not think of. Pet taxi and pet transportation services are needed in situations where domestic violence situations are happening (if there’s pets present). Persons who are being abused often STAY in the situation if the abuser threatens the pets. Providing a way for the pet to be transported to safety allows the abused person (or persons) to make the decision to leave. That’s where we come in. Our connections with domestic violence networks allows us to help transport pets to safety when our schedule allows.
Recently we took a dog from Effinham, Illinois to Pensacola, Florida and when we were finished, we stopped at the Pensacola Dog Beach to have a little r&r. (This was our first time at a dog beach and our dogs enjoyed it. Surprisingly, there were only 3 other dogs on the beach the day we went.)
Excursions like this can be added onto your pet transportation itinerary, just ask us how!
Interested in booking a pet transportation or pet taxi service? Contact us here. We can fly with your pets or drive them to your location, feel free to call if you prefer, 765-744-5688.
Happy travels,
Kelley Stewart, CEO|Pet Sitter
sit-stay-play In-home pet sitting & more.LLC
“Your pet sitting, dog walking, poop scooping specialists!”
P.s. The dog we transported had a mom DIDN’T want her picture published. So, to respect her wishes her little guy will remain anonymous 🙂 If they read this post, hi Mrs. M!! Thank you for letting us take your sweet little puppy down south, we had fun, he had fun and hopefully you’re all settled in at your new home.