Safe for Dogs in cargo/baggage to Hawaii?

[grnclvrs]

Have you looked into pet transporting services? It is unreasonable for to expect that the airlines employ someone specifically to cater for pets. The travelling public wouldn't pay for it.

 

[cassabe]

I love my dog like a child, and don't think (after reading some of the posts) I'd ever put her through that...some animals are just not 'made' to travel, esp if they have never really been crated, sounds to be just too much stress...

 

[mrmilagro]

I don't think that the airlines should have employees just for pet escort, but they could have the same people do it who escort the young, elderly and disabled. I know that the public is willing to pay for it. My mom offered several airlines the doubling of her fare to allow the dog in-cabin.

A company, who caters to pet owners, recently chartered a jet to HNL from LAX for about $6200 per person. If my mom was rich, she would do that too. I think that pet lovers are willing to pay plenty!

 

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Sorry this is a little off topic, but how does the pressurization in general affect the dog. My dog is 13 years old and I'm a little worried about how it might affect her in general just in the cabin.

Same way it affects humans, it keeps us BREATHING and within our normal temps which are both important! If a dog is in a cargo hold that is not pressurized, by the time the a/c reaches 8k if so high, the dog is going to have trouble breathing. Lets not even get to 30k+, the dog is basically a block of ice! This is the same event that would happen with humans, our bodies are made to withstand normal pressure, not 8k + or - in that case because as seen in many submarine accidents, pressure basically kills in a half second down there! I hear if you tie a piece of string between each side of a sub at surface level, by the time you reach a couple thousand feet depth the string is curved like the VZ bridge (Verrazanno Narrows)!

 

[Scandinavian13]

I know doug's seen a lot of dogs in his cargo holds and they've all been handled with extreme care.

As a bag guy at the moment, I'm going to have to agree with Kristie. I've seen guys who wouldn't care less if they chucked a fragile bag halfway across the ramp take a cat/dog/ferret and personally walk up the belt loader to set it down carefully and slowly in the bin. That's not to say everyone does it, but most people, regardless of normall carelessness levels, tend to be very careful with animals.

My warning lies in a completely different area, though. Despite the employee care, the animal is going to be put through a lot and without its normal comfort zone around it (comforting people/environment/etc). First, it's in a cage it normally isn't in (in many cases anyway). Second, it's in bag carts driven by idiots. Third, it's out on a ridiculously loud ramp, which is even louder when you have very sensitive ears. Fourth, at this time of year it is very hot. Airline rules generally specify a certain time period where the animal is fed and given water (mostly 12 and 24 hour periods), regardless of outside temperatures. If there's no connection, it's just fine, but with the connections, it can be taxing on the animal.

Those are just my warnings. Every time I've seen an animal, it has been well cared for even by the worst of the employees. The problem is just the chaos and atmosphere of the airport, however. If her dog is strong-willed and okay in strange situations, it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[mrmilagro]

Thanks for everyone's input! My mom is now looking into a company called "Pacific Air Cargo." They are based in Honolulu, have an operation center at LAX, and ship lots of animals (dogs, cats, cows, horses, birds) to Hawaii. They fly only at night, so heat shouldn't be an issue. There is supposed to be a live animal hold that is temperature and pressure controlled.

Anyone heard of the company?

 

[Lee D]

As a bag guy at the moment, I'm going to have to agree with Kristie. I've seen guys who wouldn't care less if they chucked a fragile bag halfway across the ramp take a cat/dog/ferret and personally walk up the belt loader to set it down carefully and slowly in the bin. That's not to say everyone does it, but most people, regardless of normall carelessness levels, tend to be very careful with animals.

My warning lies in a completely different area, though. Despite the employee care, the animal is going to be put through a lot and without its normal comfort zone around it (comforting people/environment/etc). First, it's in a cage it normally isn't in (in many cases anyway). Second, it's in bag carts driven by idiots. Third, it's out on a ridiculously loud ramp, which is even louder when you have very sensitive ears. Fourth, at this time of year it is very hot. Airline rules generally specify a certain time period where the animal is fed and given water (mostly 12 and 24 hour periods), regardless of outside temperatures. If there's no connection, it's just fine, but with the connections, it can be taxing on the animal.

Those are just my warnings. Every time I've seen an animal, it has been well cared for even by the worst of the employees. The problem is just the chaos and atmosphere of the airport, however. If her dog is strong-willed and okay in strange situations, it shouldn't be too bad.

:yeahthat:
I've had quite a few pets in the back of my Brasilia. Most of the station employees and rampers I have seen are very cautious when it comes to animals. I do worry a little about all the noise on the ramp, and though the back of the Bro is pressurized, I don't think much heat gets back there in the winter. Nevertheless they all seem to come out just fine.

Once I had a box of "pet" baby snakes in the cargo compartment. . . pythons or boas I think. . . . If you ever have that opportunity try not to mention it to your flight attendant. As you may discover she has a deep, almost crippling fear of reptiles. Kind of makes things interesting.