Traveling Animals: How Pets Jet-Set Around the World
Share
APEX Insight: Just as humans jet-set around the globe at cruising altitude, so too do animals – and they do so in multitudes.
Lola’s little black nose leads her from the crate into the crisp autumn air. Her fuzzy white paws sink into the damp grass. Hair falling into her eyes, the tiny West Highland terrier cautiously explores her new home. A little under three months old, Lola has flown alone for hundreds of miles from Smithers, British Columbia, to Vancouver to join her adoptive family. Just as humans jet set around the globe at cruising altitude, so too do animals – and they do so in multitudes.
Like Herding Cats
Globally, the exact number of pets in the air is hard to pin down. The US Department of Transportation recorded 523,743 animals transported on commercial flights in 2016 – some of which were accompanied by human passengers and others which flew unattended. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as many as 44 percent of American households own a dog and 35 percent own a cat, and more than half of the 1,100 pet owners surveyed by TripAdvisor in 2013 said they would be taking their animal friends along for travel in the following 12 months. Still, the pet travel experience remains a headache: Besides the wide variance of international animal travel regulations, airlines also have divergent rules. Some airlines will allow you to bring your hunting falcons into the cabin, while others won’t even allow dogs or cats.
The US DOT recorded 523,743 animal journeys in 2016.
On Emirates flights between Dubai and certain parts of Pakistan, only falcons, service dogs and, of course, humans are permitted in the cabin. At the other end of the spectrum are the Mexican street dogs that make their way to Canadian foster homes with passengers flying from Mexico to Canada as carry-on, in a carrier tucked underneath a seat, or via the cargo hold in the belly of the plane.
Flying Fish
Lufthansa Cargo’s Live/td program, with its Animal Lounge at Frankfurt Airport, promises a premium-class experience for its nonhuman passengers. “To make it as comfortable as possible for the animals, they are shielded from the sight and sound of each other,” says Marco Klapper, Lufthansa Cargo Live/td product manager.
Lufthansa even has special black light examination areas for ornamental fish, around 80 million of which are shipped every year (along with 2,000 horses, 8,000 pigs, and 14,000 cats and dogs). “Ornamental fish are packed in plastic bags containing water and oxygen,” Klapper says. “These bags are further loaded into a cardboard box with Styrofoam as protection against temperature variations. This means that the fish are traveling in total darkness during their journey. After arrival in Frankfurt, it is mandatory to check the condition of the fish. To avoid shock reactions caused by bright light, this process takes place under black light.”
“Ornamental fish are packed in plastic bags containing water and oxygen.” – Marco Klapper, Lufthansa Cargo
Larger zoo animals such as rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses fly as well, Klapper notes, mostly for international booty calls: “The background for zoo transports is usually for breeding purposes.”
Air Canada Cargo also prides itself on shipping a range of animals that captures the imagination: from one sugar glider to 17 orphaned alligators. “It’s all hands on deck when you get a shipment like that,” Johanne Cadorette, Air Canada Cargo’s marketing and communications manager, says with a laugh. Air Canada Cargo has moved approximately 65,000 animals, including cats, dogs, earthworms and alpacas, in the last five years.
PetStop, the hub for Air Canada’s animal transport network, is staffed by specialists in animal husbandry and first aid. These, Cadorette says, are highly sought-after positions that only those truly passionate about working with animals can hope to obtain. “In terms of higher-level care,” she adds, “we work with a veterinary consultant. He advises us if ever there’s a medical situation that arises.”
Air Canada ships lots of animals for conservation and animal rescue groups. Cadorette mentions Air Canada’s role in bringing a flock of Jacob sheep, a breed that long ago left Israel, back to their homeland. “In all,” she notes, “119 individual sheep, transported on 10 pallets over 10 flights, were handled out of our YYZ cargo facility.” It was the largest animal airlift in Israeli history – one might even say that the sheep made baah-liyah.
They Ship Horses, Don’t They?
The ARK at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the world’s first privately owned, round-the-clock animal terminal and airport quarantine – it’s designed to handle the import and export of any type of animal. The facility includes 14.4 acres of land (since it accommodates horses) and climate-controlled shuttling to and from aircraft.
“With the opening of Pet Oasis and Equine Export, the ARK at JFK welcomed rabbits, horses, birds, dogs and cats.” – Elizabeth A. Schuette, The ARK at JFK
“With the opening of Pet Oasis and Equine Export, the ARK at JFK welcomed rabbits, horses, birds, dogs and cats,” says Elizabeth A. Schuette, managing director of The ARK at JFK, which handles communications for the ARK. “More is to come.” In case you were wondering, mares and stallions are loaded in a certain order to prevent them from joining the mile-high club.
The Flying Menagerie
Pretty much any animal can fly, if given enough preparation and support. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has regulations for everything from antelope to dolphins. You can even pack a swarm of bees. Samuel L. Jackson fans, rejoice: There are regulations for snakes on a plane that don’t involve just dumping them into the ventilation system. Even venomous snakes can be safely flown if properly stowed in rigid and clearly marked containers. Cadorette says that tropical animals, with their sensitivity to temperature changes, require extra-special care as they make their way from Point A to Point B. “It’s not that they’re difficult,” she says, “but there are far more considerations in how they’re handled.”
Any animal that flies in the cargo hold must be comfortable in a crate and should get some exercise before boarding. IATA discourages using sedatives, since they increase the risk of in-flight injury to the animal. If you really want to go down the rabbit hole (complete with rabbits), you can download the entire animal guideline package from IATA’s website.
Stay!
As per US law, airports serving more than 10,000 passengers per year must provide facilities for pets to powder their noses. But, some airports go above and beyond. Portland International Airport opened an indoor pet restroom past security, so animals traveling on connecting flights won’t have to hold it in. Still, the airline experience is just one aspect of having a nonhuman loved one as a travel companion: Traveling to and from the airport, getting around a destination and finding pet-friendly accommodations are also hurdles that pet owners must clear.
As such, some people simply might not be able to bring their animals along. For those seeking a quick getaway but who are unable to travel with their furry friends, some airports – such as Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Montreal’s Trudeau – feature pet hotels either on-site or nearby.
The woman who adopted Lola hoists the little dog up to eye level before bringing her in for a hug, the first of many over the years to come. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, made possible by technology, process design and good old-fashioned puppy love.
“Traveling Animals” was originally published in the 7.3 June/July issue of APEX Experience magazine.