A lot of people don’t realise that traveling abroad with your pet means importing a live animal into a different country. That being said, countries protect themselves from potential risks of disease by having strict rules and regulations in place. So it’s your responsibility as an owner to find out those rules and regulations and abide to them. Moreover, some airlines require a veterinary note before they allow you to fly with your pet.

In order to make the process smooth and less stressful, doing some homework in advance is crucial. Better yet, visiting a pet travel agency that also has pet travel vets can make the process less taxing and care-free. Consulting with pet travel vets is one of the most important things you should do before traveling with your pet, especially if your pet hasn’t traveled before, or if you have any health concerns. Those people are professionals who can give you helpful tips on how to best calm your pet down, like giving them a familiar toy or blanket for example to help them calm down.

Not all pets are fit to fly. If your pet is very old, young or not in good health, you may want to completely reconsider bringing them along. Moreover, not all breeds take traveling in cargo well. Pugs, for example, have breathing problems and professional airlines won’t allow them to fly on the cargo hold. Speaking of professional airlines, there are some that fly pets exclusively, such as Pet Airways, that offer temperature-controlled cabins, equipped with proper individual crates and a flight attendant who checks on the animals every now and then.

It’s up to you to do most of the research surrounding the details. Pet travel agencies can be of great help, if you find a reputable one. But how do you weed out the bad agencies from the reputable ones? You simply do your homework. Ask around, read reviews, ask lots of questions. It’s important for you to travel with a peace of mind that your pet will make it safe to the destination. There are many cases of lost and injured pets during transport.

A reputable pet agency will have their phones open to you 24 hours, and give you updates whenever necessary. They can also help you sort out documentation and check-ups and even provide the pet with some exercise before they put it on the plane, so that the pet can sleep during those otherwise stressful times.