.jpg)
Pet owners face a unique situation when making our summer travel plans: we have to worry about our pets. Do we only go places where we can take our pets, or do we try to find care for them while we’re away?
Website Pet Relocation released its third annual Summer Pet Travel Survey. They found that 70% of the people questioned plan to travel with their pets. If you want to take your animals along with you on vacation this summer, there are a few things you have to consider.
Make sure you can bring your animal with you where you’re going. Check that your lodgings allow pets. If you’re just going to spend all day every day outside of your lodging and leave your pet behind, make sure it’s a kind that won’t mind: a smaller mammal, perhaps, or a cat (though most cats won’t be terribly happy to be temporarily displaced from their homes and then left alone all day). If you’re going to the beach, research ones in the area of your destination; many are now dog-friendly.
You have a few other things to consider if you’re taking your pet with you this summer. If you want to fly with your pet, check out my article on that topic. If you’re taking it in your car, make sure your car is prepared. Clean out your car so there’s nothing in it your pet can try to eat, and be certain your pet has food and water throughout the trip. Consider medicines or anxiety alleviation methods for pets with motion sickness. It’s a good idea to apply flea/tick medications before you leave, so your pet is prepared for new environments.
If you can’t take your pet with you on vacation you still have some options: find someone you know to pet or house sit, or board your animal at a kennel. Most kennels have some vaccination/medical requirements, so look into those before bringing your pet there. However, you have some new options as well.
How about going online or to the classifieds to find a pet sitter? I know, it’s really strange letting someone you don’t know, and who isn’t necessarily a professional, watch your pet. But it’s not that different from hiring babysitters via classifieds, as long as you interview them first.
If the idea still makes you wary, try visiting dogvacay.com. It’s a website dedicated to helping vacationing pet owners find sitters for their beloved furry family members. Sitters usually already have pets, and they post profiles on the website so you can learn more about them even before an interview. It’s something that understandably would make many wary, but it’s worth investigating.
Finally, what if you’re not traveling this summer, but moving altogether? My pets were stressed out enough when we moved 20 minutes across town, so I can’t imagine what it must be like having to go further distances, even overseas, with them. How to help your pets move warrants several articles, but I can take a moment to mention Pet Relocation.
The folks at Pet Relocation are professionals. Pet owners can hire them to take care of a few of the steps, or the entire process, of moving pets from one location to another, even overseas. I imagine the more Pet Relocation does for you, the more expensive it is, and I bet even its most basic services aren’t cheap. However, if you can afford them (unfortunately I couldn’t get price quotes without providing personal information) Pet Relocation should make your move much smoother.
Related Articles:
DogFriendly.com: Dog-Friendly Vacation Planning Made Easier
Dog Treats Causing Kidney Failure
Make Reunions Happen: Be a Noble Foster
*(This image by wwarby is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
