I lost my 14-year-old dog to old age, his legs just stopped working.

After a few months, I started looking at rescue websites.

I found one in TX. My wife who claims she doesn't really like dogs says I want that one.

The rescue group I am working with is used to moving dogs from South to North.

I started the process while I was in MA.

By the time the dog is ready to move, I will be in Fl.

I need to move the dog from Houston to Orlando.

Does anyone know of a reliable pet moving company if the rescue group drops the ball?

I am hearing horror stories about some of these companies.

One company got into a road accident and had no insurance the dog and cats were stranded till other people stepped in to rescue the animals a second time.

As of February 1, some airlines are flying dogs in cargo again. They had stopped for a while and it was a Government dog moving only.

People are saying flying cargo is not good for the dog.

He is 50 pounds and can't go cabin or I would just go and fly him home.

Any suggestions welcome

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392: People are saying flying cargo is not good for the dog.

Those people are making a blanket statement not necessarily backed up with facts or specific examples. Here's my personal experience:

Over the years I've flown my dogs many times, most often with a two-leg connection through a hub. These were Labs or Lab mixes, and they were fairly resilient with the experience. Mine were just happy to see me after the trip and carried on like the experience was no biggie.

As a retired airline pilot, I saw many dogs (pups and grown) in crates on the ramp while doing preflights. Breeders fly pups to new owners all the time. I don't remember ever seeing a dog that looked overly stressed (excessive barking, curled up with no response to finger-petting through the cage door, etc.) I did see a few that looked like they were on doggie-downers but not completely out of it. Baggage handlers might not treat your luggage well, but they'll certainly be checking on the dog and saying hi through the crate. They're pretty good at keeping the dog inside an air conditioned area and loading it last in warmer weather. At a minimum they'll keep the crate in the shade of the wing while they're loading bags & cargo.

Houston to Orlando can be a one-leg event depending on the airline, and this time of year is as easy as it gets for flying a dog in cargo. From drop-off to pick-up could be a 6-hour event or less, but be prepared to clean up a mess inside the cage if they can't hold it. They'll be looking for water and a place to do their business as soon as you get them out of the cage, so look for a grassy place that's close outside the terminal where you'll pick them up.

Good luck. And thank you for working with a rescue group!

On the way there FL91 to I75 to I10. On the way back, I10 to I75 to FL91.

But, I like a road trip.

Couple of years ago when I had a transportation company, I looked into this. Put a few bids in but people never responded. It would've been over the road.

I think over the road instead of flying is best for the pup. That way, the pup can be ensured proper bathroom, water and food breaks.

If you are open to that option, let's see if we can work something out. I'm in St. Pete, FL.

@Edmond I just sent an email to your Gmail account.

At work I have dealt with live animals a-lot, logistic are expensive, if you are hiring a pro you are paying +50-100% of cost. Most charity/rescue groups are doing it with very nice volunteers, usually retired people, I would be fine using them if convenient, might hit you for a couple hundred donation to the cause, but its just a drop in the bucket to help partially cover their costs.

In you case, If at all possible, do it yourself. I moved a retired racing greyhound from FL to VA, a one-way plane ticket +hotel + one-way rental and 1 day VAC time burned was WAY cheaper and I think better for the dog + we bonded on our road-trip.

Also, I have no fear about flying pets on most carriers, highly regulated and you will see many restrictions, just a PITA and $$$. 8/10 probably better to drive. TX to FL: Did it myself in '19 for my daughter, flew in, drove there over 2 days, flew home. I would do that again, no question, (Might extend it to 3 days, depending on schedule)

I do not know him personally, have never spoken with him, but there is a guy at Our Little Airport (Orlando area) who transports dogs in his airplane. Not sure, but I think he's affiliated with some sort of pet rescue organization.

If you want me to, I'll try to get his contact information and pass it on to you.

Try to imagine what a licensed,bonded and insured pet shipper would charge for the aforementioned trip.

$1,400.00 ?
$1,600.00 ?

Retired airline pilot here.

I would never ship a dog via airline. Especially a puppy because their ears are too sensitive to the noise and reportedly a lot arrive with damaged hearing.

Most ground handling personnel are really good, but not all. I have seen animals left in the hot sun or out in the cold.

Rescue organizations out here work hard at finding volunteer drivers. If it were me I would much prefer that than flying the dog.

There is no issue flying a dog in cargo. People do it for meets all the time. Last time I did it was in ‘08. I bought a working line GSD. Breeder was right outside Frankfurt Germany. Direct flight to DFW. My breeder signed for the pup at the airport then I met her at her kennel immediately after for the exchange. No hearing damage, no drama of any kind. Pup was in a crate the entire time.

Relay from TX to FL??

This question was posed a little over a year ago. An acquaintance of mine used a service called Citizen Shipper to move two cats from coast to coast.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:

Relay from TX to FL??

There is a guy at Our Little Airport in the Orlando area; I do not know him personally, but I have heard that he flies rescue dogs. I have forwarded contact information to sig2392.

Regarding "relay," I remember discussions of that sort of thing on SIGforum a few years ago. Don't remember whether a relay actually happened, but that might be a good answer if the links can be put in place. We certainly have quite a few members along that route.

I could have done the Tallahassee to Tampa leg last Friday.

We rescued our last pup in Sept and she was in LV and we are in Chicago blast zone. We tried to fly her commercial and almost no airlines will fly them as cargo. I ended up flying to LV and bringing her back in the cabin. Long day and longer story but we got home.

Thanks for everyone's help and comments.

I have plans A, B C at this point.

He is due to arrive around March 4th if everything works out.

I will let everyone know and post pics when he gets here.