Flying with pets can be dangerous, with pets being subjected to temperature extremes and the possibility of suffocation or death. Small pets should be flown in the cabin, while larger pets may need alternative transportation. Tranquilizers should not be used, and loss is also a risk. Live freight forwarding companies are recommended for pet transportation.
When flying with pets, many animal welfare organizations strongly recommend that pets travel with you in the cabin area of the aircraft, rather than in the hold. Although statistics on pet loss and death from cargo transportation indicate that fewer than 5,000 pets are killed or lost each year in the United States, you don’t want your pet to become a statistic. For this reason, if you have a small pet such as a cat, small dog or rodent, you should make arrangements to have the pet flown into the cabin. If your pet is too big to fit in the cabin, you may want to consider an alternative form of transportation instead of flying with your pets.
When traveling in the cargo hold, pets may be subjected to temperature extremes which may include excessive heat or freezing. For this reason, many airlines do not allow pets in the cargo hold during the summer when travelers try to fly with pets, as pets have been known to perish in the intense heat of the closed cargo hold while planes wait to taxi down the runway. . In a cargo hold with imperfect climate control, the cargo hold can also reach freezing temperatures very quickly once the plane is in the air, which could be fatal to your pet. It is also possible for the hold to lose pressure and some holds have imperfect air circulation systems, meaning your pet has the possibility of suffocating from lack of oxygen.
Traveling with pets can be very stressful; flying is even more stressful for the animal. Pets don’t understand the rapid changes in temperature and pressure that can occur, even in the cabin of an airplane, and stress can negatively affect your pet’s breathing and heart rate. If you fly with pets in the cabin, you can keep an eye on their vital signs, but if pets are isolated in the hold, they can go into a state of crisis without anyone noticing. When flying with pets, you also shouldn’t use tranquilizers or nervous system depressants, which can cause respiratory collapse or heart failure if the pet becomes air-stressed.
In addition to death, loss is also an issue when flying with pets, especially if you are forced to relocate. Pets are viewed as baggage or cargo by most airlines, rather than living beings, and your pet’s crate can be handled roughly during transfers, adding to the emotional and physical stress your pet feels. Furthermore, the cage could end up among the millions of pieces of luggage lost every year around the world. In the United States alone, about six bags out of 1,000 are lost. If your pet is lost, the airline may offer monetary compensation, but this will not compensate you for the loss of a friend.
If you absolutely must ship a pet as cargo, animal welfare activists recommend that you consider using the services of a professional live freight forwarding company. These companies handle your animals with care and respect in aircraft specially equipped for the transport of animals. The aircraft includes medical personnel to supervise your pet, and the cabin is air-conditioned and pressurized. Because the company specializes in animal handling, your pet is also much less likely to fall victim to animal cruelty at the hands of an exhausted or cranky baggage handler, an unfortunate result of flying with pets on crowded airlines. .
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