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Driving to another state with a dog

This is a follow-up to yesterday’s post about U.S. airlines’ requirements for health certificates. That post was about flying from one state to another; this post is about driving across state lines.

Officially, the rules are the same, except that the airlines’ requirements don’t enter the picture. Officially, you need to research the rules each state has promulgated about the timing of rabies vaccinations, whether a health certificate is required, and when the certificate has to be issued. And once again, the safest solution is to vaccinate your dog for rabies at 12 weeks, get a health certificate whenever you drive out of state with your dog, and make sure it’s dated within 10 days of your travel.

On the other hand, I’ve never been stopped at a state border, and no one I know or know of has ever been stopped at a state border. Practically speaking, you probably don’t need a health certificate from your vet to go on a roadtrip with your dog. The only time I can envision it being a problem is if you were pulled over or arrested for some other reason — the law enforcement person handling you might well choose to add your failure to have a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection to your other infractions (and if they’re really feeling stern, they might seize your pet).

If we were driving with Chloe from Seattle to eastern Oregon to visit my uncle, would I get a health certificate? Nope. I would, however, make sure I had in hand copies of Chloe’s current proof of rabies vaccination and of her up-to-date shot record. They’re necessary in too many situations to leave them behind — some hotels require proof of vaccination, for example, and day kennels certainly do.

If you want to dot your i’s and cross your t’s, however, the resource you’ll need is USDA APHIS’s handy link to each state’s import regulations.

NYT article about flying with pets: Allergy issues

Today’s New York Times includes an article about flying with pets (“Pets Onboard: Growls and Purrs“) that does a pretty good job of summarizing the arguments and feelings on both sides of the debate about whether pets should travel in-cabin on airplanes.

You know where I stand, of course, given the number of posts on this site about flying with a small dog. I believe that the only problem with in-cabin pets worth discussing is the troubles in-cabin pets may cause allergy sufferers (complaints about noise and smells I dismiss out of hand, after many flights near babies, snoring or yakking adults, really heinous packed meals, or the toilets). As someone with a severe nut allergy, I hear you. It’s small comfort, I know, to read the FAA’s reply to the question “How can I be sure that there is no pet dander on my flight?”: “You will still be exposed to pet dander on every flight, even without any pets in the passenger cabin. This is because most allergens are carried into the cabin on the clothes of other passengers.”

But the FAA’s other suggestions on the topic are sensible: Be proactive about your health. Be aware that there may be pets on your flight, get a prescription from your doctor and bring your medicine with you. When you get to the airport, ask an agent whether there are pets on the flight. If there are, make sure you are not seated next to one before you get on the plane, to make sure that you and anyone you’re flying with will be seated together (and to avoid encounters like the one described in the article, where the dog owner refused to move and forced a family to travel apart).

Dog owners, for their part, need to be extra-sensitive to the concerns and feelings of those around them. It’s unforgivable that the owner in the article refused to move, and it’s unforgivable for someone to sneak a dog onboard (also described in the article). The fees for in-cabin pets are exorbitant, I’m well aware, but the airline has to know your dog is onboard to answer other passengers’ health-related inquiries accurately. Other passengers have to know that your dog is onboard so they can medicate themselves, if necessary, and get re-seated. And your dog really must remain completely in her carrier during the entire flight, no matter how sympathetic your seatmates are — it’s the rule, and it keeps dander under control.

Service animals must travel in-cabin with their owners, and not in a carrier, since they are crucial to their owners’ well-being and ability to function. For the rest of us, traveling with an in-cabin pet is a privilege (though one we pay dearly for), and mustn’t be taken for granted.

Off Leash iPhone app now owned by Eukanuba

Back in April I wrote about a free iPhone app called Off Leash that used your current location to show you the five nearest off-leash dog parks. It had flaws, but its authors planned to add more off-leash dog parks in Version 2.0. Instead, they sold it to Eukanuba, which has gussied it up and plans to update it more frequently. A blogger who works in consumer relations for P&G Pet Care has posted a useful summary of the improvements Eukanuba’s made to the app, and of the things she’d still like to see changed.

The app’s list of dog parks still isn’t comprehensive, and you still only get a list — no descriptions or reviews of the parks are provided. However, it’s still free, and with funding from Eukanuba behind it (and your support! send in the names of dog parks you know about and it doesn’t!) it has a good chance of becoming an even more useful resource than it already is. Download it from the iTunes App Store (here’s the direct link).

Boston map of dog resources

The same people who brought you SnifNYCDogs — which I love for its wonderful interactive dog map of the five boroughs — have started SnifBostonDogs, and are building a similar map for Boston and environs. It’s still under construction, but it already shows a number of dog parks, stores and bakeries. Check it out, and if you live in the Boston area, send them suggestions!

Dog-friendly luxury: Loews hotels

Loews Hotels & Resorts has fifteen properties sprinkled around the U.S. and two in Canada (Montreal and Quebec City). You’ll spend some money (in the $200-500 range per night), but you’ll be happy — the properties get consistently good ratings on TripAdvisor. And your dog will be happy too, because all of the Loews properties are dog-friendly:

All pets receive their own gifts including a pet tag, bowl and a special treat to start their vacation. Owners receive a detailed brochure with information on hotel pet services — such as our Loews Loves Pets room service menu, local dog walking routes, and area pet services, including veterinarians, pet shops, groomers, and much more. Additional items available for guests with pets include dog and cat beds (different sizes), leashes and collars (different sizes), rawhide bones, catnip, scratch pole, litter boxes and litter, pooper scoopers.

The highlights of Loews’ pet policy are as follows: There is a one-time fee of $25, only two pets are allowed per room, your pet must be leashed whenever she leaves your room, and you should be prepared to give the hotel proof that her vaccinations are current.

In the U.S., Loews has hotels in Annapolis, Atlanta, Denver, Lake Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, Santa Monica, St. Pete Beach, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

Hampton Jitney with a small dog: Buses from Hamptons to NYC, Boston and beyond

It’s an old-fashioned name for a remarkably extensive bus service: Hampton Jitney sends its buses and luxury buses from the Hamptons in Eastern Long Island to New York City, to Boston, around New England on tours and chartered trips, and to Florida.

Dogs are not allowed on board the buses traveling to Florida, but they are otherwise welcomed: You can travel with your pet “as long as your pet is in a D.O.T approved carrier that you are able to carry onboard with you. Also, pets are to remain in carriers at all times, there is a charge of $10 to travel with you pet. Keep in mind that your pet will have to travel on your lap if the coach is full.” [7/30/10 I learned today via telephone that Hampton Luxury Liner, a Jitney competitor, does not allow pet dogs onboard.]

This, it occurs to me, is a way to take your dog by bus from NYC to Boston. You’d have to make your way to Port Jefferson to catch the morning Hampton Jitney to Boston. The Jitney arrives at the Port Jefferson ferry terminal at 10:00 am and leaves on the 10:30 am ferry to Bridgeport, CT. There are a couple of morning LIRR trains from Penn Station that would work (the LIRR allows small dogs in carriers on board). There is a taxi stand at the Port Jefferson LIRR station, and it’s only a couple of miles from the station downhill to the ferry terminal. It’d be a long morning, but until Amtrak and the major bus lines allow dogs on board, it’s the best I can come up with.

Dog jaunt: Sunset Magazine dog-friendly vacation suggestions

I just got my copy of the August 2009 Sunset Magazine, and was delighted to see that it includes a great article listing “Our 10 favorite dog-friendly spots for canine quality time.” Some I already knew about — we live near Orcas Island, and used to live near Carmel, CA — but even in those two locations, Sunset found a couple of beaches and a resort that we need to try. The other locations are Denver, Coronado, Los Angeles, Tucson, Santa Barbara, Petaluma and Walla Walla. Grab yourself a copy and check out pages 32-34!

Traveling by Houston public transit with a small dog

Photo by eflon

Photo by eflon

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas (“Metro” or “MTA”) operates bus lines, express bus lines, and light rail in Harris County. The city plans extensions to the light rail lines and the addition of a commuter rail system. The consensus appears to be that cars are still a necessity in Houston, but there’s hope for the future — and the public transportation that exists is clean and pleasant.

Metro’s pet policy is as follows: “Customers can carry a pet on the bus and the Rail as long as it is caged properly.”

Other regional public transit providers

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown is a ten-county area collectively referred to as “Greater Houston.” Cars are the preferred means of travel in this area, but there are a couple of public transit systems to tell you about. Please let me know about others I’ve missed! (As always, when I don’t give you a link to the pet policy, I found out about it in a phone conversation.)

Fort Bend County operates a commuter bus service called TREK Express, which connects Sugar Land with “the Greenway Plaza and Galleria areas of Houston.” Only service dogs are allowed on board.

Galveston’s Island Transit operates bus and trolley services in the city of Galveston. Trolley services have been suspended because of damage suffered to the system in Hurricane Ike, but the bus system is still in operation. Small dogs in carriers are allowed on board.

For other posts about traveling with dogs on public transit, take a look at Dog Jaunt’s handy guide!

Travel book review: Cruising with Your Four-Footed Friends — The Basics of Boat Travel with Your Cat or Dog

This book, by sailor and author Diana Jessie, is useful but doesn’t evoke the same kind of rapturous praise — from me at least — as Jessica Stone’s book on the same topic. Jessie is clearly an experienced sailor and offers sensible, considered advice about how to handle traveling in a boat with pets, but too much of the book is devoted to general pet care issues. There are, for example, long sections about pet grooming, cat toilet training and dog kennel training that needn’t be there — these are topics that are handled admirably in other books and on-line, and they take up valuable page space that could have been devoted to the more interesting and tricky problems faced by sailors accompanied by pets. There’s no question that Jessie has that kind of knowledge — her description, for example, of how she and her husband trained their cat to rescue himself by scrambling back onboard (via a trailing towel) is fascinating, and incredibly helpful.

This is a worthy book, certainly, but if you want only one book on the topic, make it Jessica Stone’s Doggy on Deck.

Amazon link:
Cruising With Your Four-Footed Friends: The Basics of Travel with Your Cat or Dog

What size dog will fit under an airplane seat?

One answer is “any dog that fits comfortably in a carrier that the airlines will accept for in-cabin pets.” As I’ve discussed in an earlier post, though, there are significant variations among the U.S. airlines’ requirements for in-cabin carriers, and there are lots of carriers that exceed those requirements in one or more dimensions but still sneak by for airline use. All these variations mean that the upper size limit for a dog that will fit under an airplane seat isn’t well-defined.

That said, I can tell you that our dog Chloe is pretty close to the largest dog that can fit comfortably under an airplane seat. She’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and she’s about 12″ tall at the shoulders, about 15″ long from shoulders to rump, and about 12 lbs. That’s pretty much breed standard for a Cavalier. Please note that there are many Cavaliers who are considerably larger than breed standard — they approach Cocker Spaniel size, in fact — and they would not be comfortable under an airline seat. Chloe can fit in a medium Sherpa bag, but is more comfortable in the large SturdiProducts bag she travels in (her bag is non-compliant, but so far it’s made it on board — and it’s marvelously flexible, so it works well even in limited and odd spaces).

U.S. airlines require that your dog be able to move around in her carrier — which I take to mean having enough room to shift position and curl up to sleep. The funniest dog travel sight I’ve seen so far was a mid-sized poodle mix making her way back into a completely non-compliant carrier after using San Diego’s airport pet relief area. Not only did the bag (a pastel Le Sportsac tote) fail to meet the usual requirements for a dog carrier, it was literally exactly as large as the dog herself. When she was zipped back in and waiting for her owner to get the rest of his gear together, the bag itself sat down and waited. She and her owner both seemed comfortable with the situation, but a little more room (and mesh ventilation panels! and a leakproof bottom!) is really necessary.