Fly the new "pet-friendly" skies

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Fly the new "pet-friendly" skies

Updated Apr 28, 2009

paw1The best inventions come from solving personal problems. 

For Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder, their dilemma was how to ship Zoe, their Jack Russell Terrier, across the country, safely. They weren’t comfortable letting their favorite pooch ride in the cargo hold of an airplane. So the two entrepreneurs have created the first pet-only airline that lets pets travel in the main cabin, not the cargo hold. The only human passengers will be Pet Attendents who will be walking the aisles ensuring your pets beverage needs are met.

Beginning in mid-July, Pet Airways, will launch its first flight to one of five major cities — New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles. They hope the program will “fly” with pet owners who want a safe way to transport and track pets travelling across the country. 

According to Dan Wiesel, president/CEO of Pet Airways: “Currently, most pets traveling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage. The experience is frightening to the pets, and can cause severe emotional and physical harm, even death. This is not what most pet owners want to subject their pets to, but they have had no other choice, until now.”

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, approximately 76 million cats and dogs travel with their owners each year; two million travel by air. Many airlines allow small pets to travel with their owners, stowed under the seat, but most airlines will only accept one or two pets per flight and most must fly in the cargo hold — not something most pet owners are comfortable doing and perhaps for good reason. A study by the San Francisco SPCA, found that of the two million animals transported in the cargo holds of commercial airliners per year, approximately 5,000 are injured in transit.

According to the Animal, Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), “virtually every major airline has been cited and fined for repeatedly mishandling animals”. As a result of a lack of oxygen and temperature control in the cargo holds, the most common causes of death are suffocation and heat prostration, although one airline was cited for placing a dog too close to a motor, which burned the animal.

Creating an airline solely for the transportation of pets is a great way to address the “cargo-hold” problem. Most pet owners are going to be more comfortable flying their pet in the main cabin of an airline solely for pets and tracking their pets progress on their website along the way. It sounds like an idea whose time has definitely come.

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Cathy Rosenthal (aka The Pet Pundit), CHES, CFE
Animal Welfare Communications Specialist

Cathy brings more than 35 years' experience in the animal welfare field. She is a sought-after speaker, Certified Humane Education Specialist, a syndicated pet advice columnist, an author, a publisher, and of course - a loving pet parent.

Read more about Cathy here or check out her Non-Profit's page to see more ways she can help you and your organization.

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