Taking your best friend on an adventure sounds like a dream come true to many dog owners. Still, many do not understand what actually goes into planning a vacation with a dog. Depending on where you want to go and what your plans are, there are varying hoops you may have to jump through. When vacationing in general, do your research on your destination and mode of travel and make plans in advance.
Going on a Road Trip
Before you take your pet across state lines, you should make a visit to your veterinarian to obtain a health certificate. Also called a certificate of veterinary inspection, this is written proof that a veterinarian performed an extensive check-up of your pet. Listed on the certificate will be all your pet’s current vaccines, their identifying information, and confirms that your pet is not carrying any diseases. The specifics of what information is required varies from state to state, so it is best to get a full exam done. Not any vet can perform the exam—it must be done by a USDA-accredited veterinarian. You should call nearby veterinarian offices to determine whether any of their veterinarians are accredited.
Overall, use your judgement. Traveling within your state or crossing for one day into a nearby state may be okay as long as your pet appears healthy and is up to date on their vaccines. When crossing multiple states over multiple nights, have a health certificate on hand.
As you plan your route, locate pet-friendly hotels in which to spend the night, plan for regular stops every couple hours to take your pet out and periodically offer them water and food.
Flying Domestically
Flying with a pet requires a few more steps than booking a flight just for yourself. First, check to make sure the flight you want to book allows pets on board. Within 24 hours of booking your flight, call the airline to register your pet for the flight. This way you can cancel your flight and most airlines will still issue you a refund if there is any issue with bringing your pet. You will need to provide your dog’s breed, weight, and the dimensions and/or weight of the travel crate. Any airline willing to transport animals will also require a health certification for your pet from a USDA-accredited vet, performed no more than 14 days before your flight. Most animals will be kept in the cargo hold; in this case, you will drop your animal off with flight staff before passing through security. Provide a water bowl secured to the side of their crate so that airline staff can make sure your pet has water during the flight.
Vacationing Internationally
Flying internationally will have all the same requirements as flying domestically, with at least one additional piece of advice: check to see if there is a quarantine period for your pet in your destination country. Most countries mandate that animals entering from foreign areas be kept in quarantine for a specified amount of time before their veterinarians declare them safe to enter the country. Some regions are more specific than others, so it is important to research your particular destination and travel plans.
*Please note: all of this advice is for traveling from/within the United States and might not be applicable to people outside of the US.
Vacationing with your pet is a lot easier if they are well-behaved. Be sure that your pet’s obedience skills are up to par by bringing him in to Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training. We will make sure that they have the training needed to be safe, well-behaved, and well-travelled.
