Pet Shipping and Homeland Security

As a professional pet shipping company we are held to laws and security guidelines that must be followed to maintain a known shipper status. Known shipper status means that we are known by the airlines and the government (TSA). This allows us to provide much safer accommodations when moving a pet we do not have to go through crate inspections and risk the chance of losing a pet because it had to be removed from its crate for inspection at the time of departure. There are many other reasons that make using a TSA known shipper a must when choosing a pet relocation company such as the safety of the country, passengers, airlines etc. It seems that a until now companies that are not in major cities have been able to get around some of the guidelines which allow a company to be of known shipper status. A few companies will allow you to purchase the airway bill from them under their known shipping or TSA number (security) and go off and ship your pet on your own. This is illegal it is also very dangerous and it is really a bit of a rip off they are basically charging you to do something on your own and charging you for something you can do on your own directly through the airline with no guidance or services provided by these companies. For a fee they will give you the paperwork and then send you off under their security you still will do all the work and pay for the airfare and shipping crate. You hire a company to help you so that you do not have to deal with all of the ins and outs of handling your pets travel why would you pay someone and then go handle it all on your own? It is a rip off. The TSA has been cracking down on these smaller companies in the last few weeks and will be revoking the known shipper status from them in the upcoming weeks. This kind of practice puts us all at risk! The TSA visits our offices on a monthly basis to make sure we comply with the rules of the TSA and soon any company who wants to call themselves a professional pet shipping company will also be held to these guidelines the small companies that do not will be finding a new line of work. Before 911 companies did not care if they had known shipper status to them it was a complicated hassle to stay in compliance with the TSA now it is a necessity.

International Pet Shipping and Pet Travel policy

If you have been to the airport lately or in the past few years now, you undoubtedly have noticed the increased security measures enforced by the TSA. Of course the trickle down effect of this security is reaching in to all facets of airline travel. This is becoming more a priority in the pet shipping industry as well. Many international carriers now require that you use a third party pet relocation company when moving a pet. Airlines feel that it is easier to deal with companies they know, and who are of known shipper status. By using a "known shipper" the airlines are assured of the identity of the person or persons who are moving these pets. This also lets the airlines know that the government(TSA) also recognizes these companies and knows who they are as well. In these times it is a security measure that is a necessity and it is becoming increasingly the normal practice of most international carriers. I would not be surprised if in the very near future this becomes the normal practice for domestic pet travel as well. This is just one step in a long list of precautionary measures that must be taken to secure the air for all passengers. Some may look at this as an added expense, but in these times who can put a price on safety.

Pet shipping and International adoption fraud is growing

It is not bad enough that the pet adoption scam is all over the Internet and nation wide newspapers from coast to coast in the U.S, it is now being expanded with different breeds of dogs and types of pets. So far this month we have experienced a huge increase in calls and emails regarding this subject. Along with this scam, is a fake check scam, in which they send you a check for a large amount to purchase a puppy from you and ask that you only send them a fraction of that money back with the pup, the thing is that by the time your bank alerts you that the check is fake, you have already sent them the balance and a puppy. We see that rare parrot eggs, parrots, and all different breeds of monkeys are now being included as bait in this scam. I am not sure how people are falling for this, I think it may just be a case of hearing what they want to hear. Some of the claims and statements made by these crooks should really be setting off alarms, if the English in the responses from these crooks is not evidence enough, than perhaps the fact that they are having you western union money to remote locations in Africa, for free pets, should be. At AnimalsAway.com (Animals Away pet relocation) we encourage everyone to contact us regarding any type of pet relocation, pet adoption and most importantly, before sending anyone money. It is really sad to hear that hard working pet lovers all over our country are losing money, when they fall for this common Internet scam. Please, contact our pet shipping professional staff, before you send money and are yourself dragged in by your good intentions.

Pet shipping and International adoption update

Unfortunately the puppy adoption scam seems to be gaining strength. In the past two weeks I have taken more requests than I can keep track of, for puppy adoptions from Africa, Cameroon, and Nigeria. These criminals now have broadened the variety of the breeds they are using as bait. New breeds I am seeing offered by these crooks include, but are not limited to, Yorkie's, Maltese and Chihuahua's, I have also heard of baby monkey's being used as well. The reason why this seems to be working so well, is the locations that the scam artists are advertising, including, major news papers, and reputable pet adoption web sites, even on Yahoo pets. No matter how legit the ad looks, it is so important to confirm the location, and identity of the person who you are dealing with, send them nothing if you are even the slightest bit unsure. In the U.S there are so many pets available for adoption, I am still baffled by the thought of adopting a pet from out side of the country, it just doesn't make sense. Please if ever you are going to adopt a pet, please get in touch with a professional pet shipper before sending anyone any amount of money. It is not cheap to send a pet internationally, although the scam seems to almost always ask for only a couple of hundred dollars for shipping. A good way to identify a scam is to take the name of the company that they claim will be handling the shipment and enter it into Google search if you find that they do not have a web site, than it is safe to say in the year two thousand and eight, that they are not legit, and you should not deal with them.

Pet Shipping and Pet adoption Internationally

For the last few years I have warned of a popular Internet scam, pay shipping and get a pup for free. First off it is a wonder to me why anyone would go out of the United States to adopt a pet, it really is ridiculous, when you consider the amount of pets available for adoption here with in the U.S. I have written blogs, done radio interviews and warned many people who contact us about this fallacy, yet every day I still get the same email, and phone calls about adopting pets from Cameroon, Africa and a few other remote places. Let me set the record straight for all who read this post. There is no way to ship a pet for under one thousand dollars from another country to the U.S. and it will almost always cost even more than that, people who claim to be missionaries and good Christians that suddenly have to get rid of a pure bred expensive puppy, do not exist, they are crooks. You should never send a money order to anyone who you have not met in person, or are able to confirm the legitimacy of the claims they make! These crooks go to any length to dupe you, they use real legitimate companies information to trick you, always go directly to the source that they claim will be handling the delivery of a pet to you, never just take someone at their word. Feel free to contact us at our pet shipping company web site, or by phone, if you ever are unsure about anything involving the transportation of a pet, you will be glad that you did! I have seen people loose thousands of dollars from this scam, please always make sure to think, and do your homework before sending anyone any type of check or money period. Once you lose this money it is gone, these people are not Americans, or in America, and not much can be done to get your money back. The best defence against these crooks is to simply stay away from this scam, please use common sense, when pet searching.

Pet shipping procedures to follow

Many things must be taken into consideration when moving a pet by air. Common mistakes and misconceptions include, wrong size crates, feeding a pet before travel, sedation, and to many items placed inside the carrier, to name a few. The first is crate size, very important for the safety and well being of your pet, a crate which is to big, or to small can create an unsafe environment for your pet and it is also the first thing the airlines look at when you arrive at the airport. When traveling, with the exception of water, which should be provided at all times, it is not necessary for your pet to have a full stomach, so feeding right before the trip is just not a good choice, for the few hours of travel your pet will be fine, it is actually recommended not to feed before the trip, to avoid any sickness, or soiling of the crate during travel. Sedation is not recommended, or preferred by the airlines, it is just risky and not suggested, to many potential problems (more listed in prior postings below). Toys, shirts, socks and things like that, that your pet can potentially eat and or choke on should not be put with them for travel. I also would note the fact that the airlines will take away anything that they see as a potential hazard, so to avoid the risk of losing any items it is better to just take them with you, or mail them ahead. Hopefully these tips are helpful, they are provided to assure a safe and happy arrival for your pet at your destination, as always check with a professional pet shipper to avoid any mistakes, and remember safety first when it comes to the relocation of your precious pet.

Pet Shipping and Sedation

To sedate or not to sedate that is the question. It is not recommended that you sedate your pet for transportation. Besides the fact that airlines do not like to accept a pet that has been sedated there are also other concerns to consider. If your pet has never ingested such medication there is a chance of an adverse reaction which can be fatal. You should consider the fact that you are not there to tend to your pet if such a reaction was to occur. Your pet may have a problem you are not aware of and this could aggravate such a condition. A good way to ease the stress of a move is to acclimate your pet to its travel carrier before the move. Trips in the car while inside of the shipping crate seem to help to get your pet comfortable while traveling. There are also less harsh all natural over the counter remedies available which can be found all over the Internet as well as PETCO and the like. Always speak with your vet before any decision is made on any medication over the counter or otherwise.