Ask yourself: will my pet be comfortable and happy? Some animals simply prefer to stay at home and a "homesick" or motion-sick pet, could ruin everyone's trip. In such a case, it's probably wiser to leave your pet with a friend or relative, or hire a petsitter. If that's not possible, you might consider boarding him/her at a clean, well-run kennel facility.
Plan Ahead
To make traveling with your pet easier for everyone, there are a number of things you can do to prepare, like:
* Bring along the name, phone # and address of a veterinarian that works in the area you’ll be visiting, in case of emergency
* Record your dogs’ license, tattoo, or microchip number before leaving and keep it with you while traveling – it could make all the difference should you and your dog be separated
* If you’ll be flying, call the airline before booking to make sure your pet will be welcome on the flight. Many airlines no longer allow pets to be transported in the baggage compartment of commercial flights, so you may have to make arrangements for your dog to fly on a separate live cargo flight
| Your travel checklist: | |
| * Kennel or carrier | * Food, water and bowls |
| * Grooming tools | * Any medication your dog is taking |
| * Collar and leash(es) | * Vaccine records/ documents |
| * Identification | * Local vet contact info |
| * First aid kit | * Recent photos of your dog |
Overall, a little effort
in the planning stages goes a long way. Do your homework when selecting
a "pet friendly" establishment, to ensure that it will
welcome your particular pet. Second, if you want to get the best
possible deal and ensure that you and your pet will be properly
accommodated, either contact the property directly or use a free
specialized service like Pets Can Stay,
and let them take care of all of the legwork for you.