Pet Holiday Travel Tips

Travel during the holidays can be tiring, but add a pet to the equation and travel can be downright stressful. To that end, our Advisory Board weighed in on steps pet owners can take to make their holiday journeys sane and safe.  

Mike Arms, President Helen Woodward Animal Center:

So many times, I hear the harrowing stories about people traveling with their pets. Let’s start with the smaller things, if you’re driving with your pet, please do not feed the pet just before you start your trip. Sometimes it will cause them to get upset stomachs and get sick in the car. I do recommend safety seatbelts for pets, as we know anything can happen on the road. And one of the most important things about traveling with pets, is being sure they have proper ID. Hopefully your pets are microchipped, and lately we’ve been promoting Tagg the pet tracker, so if the pet gets out of the car, or gets away at a rest stop, you can easily track it on your smart phone or laptop computer and get them back quickly.

In addition, you may want to purchase in most pet supply stores, a temporary tag that you can attach to your pet’s collar with your name and either cell phone number or phone number of the residence where you will be staying.  Keep in mind that if your pet gets lost and it’s micro chipped, more than likely they’ll be calling your home residence, and if you’re traveling, of course you will not be there to take that call. The reason you’re traveling with your pet is because you love it and do not want to leave it home for the holidays, so please love it enough to keep it safe.

Jennifer Arnold, Founder and Executive Director of Canine Assistants:

Traveling can be stressful and terrifying for your pets…and frightened pets can bolt very easily.  Please check your transport equipment, such as carriers and leashes and collars, to be absolutely certain they are safe and secure before you leave home!