Flying My Fur Baby

I think one of the most stressful parts of planning this move, is Koda. Well, not only has it postponed the move due to having issues finding a rental that will allow him, but I was not quite prepared for the cost of flying him. Pets flying internationally HAVE to go cargo. Even if he was a 3lb terrier who could fit under the seat, he still must fly in cargo. I expected to pay alot, I was estimating the cost to be around the same as my ticket or less. Definitely not more. I've done loads of research to make sure I have all my ducks in a row, and to make sure he get the best of care, because let's face it, he IS my baby, and this isn't his choice, it's mine, so I want to make it as smooth and comfortable for him as possible. After loads of reading i've decided to fly him on British Airways, they have a good reputation in the pet transportation dept and they are so helpful when I call with my endless questions. His ticket for flying in May is $2064. Yes. I know. I nearly fell outta my chair too. Its had some time to sink in, that was weeks ago, so it doesn't sting quite as much as it did at first, it's just something I have to budget for. If he has the best experience he can during this, and they take good care of him, then i'm happy to pay it. He will not have to be quarantined, he will travel under the pets scheme with a pets passport. Cute huh?! He will need a new 15 digit ISO microchip (the one he has now is only a 10 digit and not internationally recognized), and his vet paperwork in order with a certificate of health. That will be the easy part. The hardest part (besides cost) is his kennel! Dakota is an escape artist! He IS crate trained, but his crate is a HUGE wire one so its pretty open, and he's not in it alot. The kennels approved for flying are the plastic kind that he absolutely hates. He can push the gate open, bending the wires, and let himself out (he's done it). But after more research I found we can get zip ties to help secure the door and that made me feel much better. I ordered him a Sky Kennel Ultra with 4 point locking door (I figure he needs all the security he can get since he'll have alot of time to figure out how to escape lol). This one has good reviews and i'm hopeful it will be fairly escape proof. They are pricey, for his size (XL) it was $149 with free shipping. The first kennel they sent I had to return, it looked used (?) and did not come with the live animal stickers it was supposed to have. It also had a part where the door slides into that was coming loose. The company was so nice, they sent me a new one the next day and I returned the old one with no problems. I was worried the new one might have problems like the previous, but it didn't, it was brand new, came with everything it was supposed to, and had no weak spots. I really think the other one they sent me was very old or something, it didnt really look much like this one. So I put it together and left the door off the first few days to let Koda get used to it being around without fear of being shut in. Even with the door off he would watch me to make sure I was far away from it before he would go in and inspect. I am trying to make him LOVE this kennel. He doesn't mind his other one, but he doesn't love it either. I want him to feel happy and relaxed in this one so his trip will be more comfortable for him so i've been tossing lots of treats inside and feeding him in it sometimes, and then I did put the door back on and he actually took a nap in it on sunday YAY! I'm so relieved and I feel so much better about it now. I will continue to research ways to make him more relaxed for his trip, he's a rescue dog so he gets really upset and nervous in strange situations. Maybe a thunder shirt, it's an anti-anxiety vest that has mixed reviews but mostly good. I will ask his vet what she thinks about it. When I was googling ways to make your pet's flight more comfortable it brings up the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know it doesn't always go smoothly and I know, tragically, death happens, but I did not want to read about it just from searching, but of course I did and then I was crying so hard. In my heart I feel like Koda will be fine, I wouldn't risk taking him if I thought otherwise, but reading some of those things upset me to the point where I had to pray really hard and think deep about what was best for him. When I left work that day I had to go to walmart and I was walking around the store and still crying my eyes out lol! oh well, its walmart, who cares! After I had a good cry I came home and did more research. I felt much better, there are many more rules and regulations now than in past years and pet deaths during flight are actually pretty rare. The kennels were a big part of why there were accidents and escapes and I think the new regulations have really helped that. I dont want to dwell on this too much because I have to stay positive and know that he will be fine. I just wanted to update everyone :)

and because he's so cute.......