I want to travel to Italy and I wish to take my dog along. What plans should I make in advance for the best possible care while on the plane? Which airline would you recommend? What questions should I remember to ask?
I want to travel to Italy and I wish to take my dog along. What plans should I make in advance for the best possible care while on the plane? Which airline would you recommend? What questions should I remember to ask?
0 Answers
Karen DiCicco wrote on :
Check to see if you will have to quarantine your dog for 6 months on your return.
Donna Fitzpatrick wrote on :
Hi, you will need an international pet passport, like a health certificate to fly.
Call the individual airlines to see which ones allow pets up in the cabin. Some do and some don’t and some allow only 2 or 3 total per flight. So it depends upon the airline. Delta is usually the easiest to work with, but I am not sure abut all airlines. You will need to make the arrangements ahead of time to reserve a spot for the dog to fly with you. So start early. Some countires may want you to have newer rabies shots no sooner than 30 days before you enter a foreign country. Call the American Embassy in Rome and ask what they suggest to do and go by their advice. You will need to have an international microchip but some countries will accept the Avid or HomeAgain or AKC one. Good luck and have fun.
Cheryl Wait wrote on :
There are certain requirements you have to meet. You must carry a vet. health certificate and the vet needs to be certified with the US dept of Agriculture. Your vet can help you with this. Your dog must be micro chipped and either it has to be 134.2 kHz or you need to have your own scanner. He needs to be up on all vaccinations of course, but depending on where you are going there may be extra shots needed. Airlines will not ship certain breeds in summer months and some breeds they won’t ship at all unless you sign a waiver. You need to check with your airline about this. You should also take a “doggy suitcase” or set part of yours aside for this. You should bring some of his/her own food as you may not be able to find it, along with some toys, any medications, extra collar and leash. It is also a good idea to have copies of all relevant paperwork. You can go to the Embassy of Italy webpage and they have the forms for the certificate or you can purchase a pet passport which will have the form inside. The pet passport is an easy way to do the above. It will have the vet certificate, the necessary Italian form and instructions for taking your pet to Italy. Your vet can help you with this also. Four legged pets and the USDA websites have up to date information and changes. Always look at the airlines pet requirements before you choose your airline. The night before the flight freeze water in a small dish, to go in the airline kennel. Tape or tie a small clear bag of dog food to the outside of the kennel so he/she can be fed if need be. Again check with the airlines on this as the rules change quite fast. I don’t have a favorite airline, but would pick American or Continental over some of the others. Make sure you know exactly when you need to arrive with your dog, and how you will be receiving him/her on the other end. Check your destination, to be sure they will accept your pet, and that any travel done once you arrive accepts your pet also. It is a lot of work but will be worth it. Hope you have a wonderful trip.