Many see ground travel for their pets as a better alternative to air

Turning to ground transportation

To overcome these problems, a growing number of pet owners are turning to services that offer ground transportation for pets.

Over the last four years Happy Tails, which offers both services, has seen a sharp swing away from air travel to ground transportation for pets. Today only a quarter of pet owners are using its By Air with Care service as opposed to three-quarters who are using its By Ground Safe & Sound service.

The company, which is based in Tucson, Arizona, suggests that moving your pet through a ground-transportation company might not only be an alternative, it might even suit your needs better than transporting your pet by air.

What the service offers

The company says these services make ground transportation preferable:

• It is door-to-door, meaning that no one has to leave home on either side of the transportation. Unless you are flying at the same time yourself, there is no need to travel to the airport to despatch or pick up your pet.

• During the transport, the pet is exposed only to the person who is doing the driving.

This feature, Happy Tails suggest, is better than air travel where pets are exposed to other pets and several other people throughout the journey.

• No restrictions are imposed on the size of the pet, the breed, or the temperatures when you use ground transportation.

For example, in ground travel large dogs are not the problem they might be on flights.

• The pets are given one-on-one care throughout the journey, day and night.

In an aircraft pets are usually kept in cages on the aircraft’s cargo deck where there is no contact with people for some time before the flight, during it, and before it is delivered to the person who is picking up the pet.

• Communication with the driver is continuous, providing peace of mind for the family, Happy Tails says.

Driving your pet yourself

A possible alternative is to drive your own pet when you travel by car, Happy Tails says, but doing so often is impossible because of timing, logistics, the type of vehicle, or the owner’s preference.

Owners who drive their own pets often have to make additional stops for dogs or for cats that are meowing.

• Arrangements are taken out of your hands.

A professional pet transport company that provides service for long distance travel can assist you with all of the logistics from the start to the finish of the journey, providing a comfortable and safe journey for pets across the country, Happy Tails explains.

• A complicating factor for air transportation is that a flight might be able to arrive only at a major airport meaning that it can be another several hundred miles to the pet’s new home, which has to be covered by ground.

Using ground-transportation services for the whole journey can be an answer.

Research what a company offers

A significant aspect to note is that some pet transportation companies offer private transport for only one pet family at a time. Other companies transport several pets from different families in a number of areas of the country at a time.

In addition, providers vary on the services that they include in the transportation.

Pet owners are therefore advised to conduct research on the price and best fit for their pets’ needs. Owners also should check on a company’s credentials, reputation, and reviews.

Peace of mind

Happy Tails adds that by hiring a professional company that offers pet relocation services owners can obtain the best transport options and can compare the logistics of flying as opposed to driving.

By leaving this part of their move to a professional company, pet owners can concentrate on the many other details of their move, the company says.