Travelling with Your Pet: The Importance of a Crate

For pet owners, like me, life without their furry friends is unimaginable. Apart from leaving us in awe with their loyalty, they are always there to provide comfort, and support, as well as lots and lots of fun. It’s not surprising many are accompanied by their pets even when travelling; I can tell, I’m one of them!

No matter whether I’m going round the country, or across the ocean, my beloved German shepherd Toby is there by my side, sharing the adventures. I’m not going to lie in saying it’s been easy since the beginning, but if you get the right professional help, you can count on no stress for either you or your pet.

When I say professionals, I don’t only refer to vet check-ups, but also those experienced in pet travel that can guide you through the selection of the adequate car and airline approved pet crate. There are many owners who prefer letting their pets roam free in the car which is not an exaggeration to say they are asking for trouble, unless their pets are trained to sit still throughout the trip – crates are all about your and your pet’s safety.

As for air travel, I don’t even know where to start… Airlines have their own specific requirements, both for domestic and international travel, which can be rather confusing, to say the least. Seeking the assistance of specialists in the field, I got the perfect airline approved crate for Toby, with the much-needed comfort, in terms of room for standing, sitting, turning around, lying down, as well as safety, and security.

Knowing how to measure your pet is the key, remembering they measured Toby’s length, width, and height. Upon request, there’s the choice of custom made crates too, created specifically for your pet, so the options are sure to satisfy you and your pet. Another aspect to note about pet air travel has to do with pet size.

If you’re lucky enough to have your pet together with its crate fit under the seat in front of you, where it has plenty of space to turn, you can travel together in the cabin. Then again, if your pet is bigger, like my Toby, it would have to travel as accompanied checked baggage, out of sight, with more regulations to follow in terms of checking in and picking up.

The thought of it itself prior to Toby’s first air journey stressed me out a great deal, and I ended up resorting to the services of a pet travel company – best decision I made as they are in the know of all the laws. So my advice, thanks to the experience I’ve gathered travelling with Toby, is if you want to get the worry off your chest, travel safe and secure, without stress in sight, knowing your pet is well taken care of, with the ideal crate, get professional help.