Shellay Shelties

First, you must understand that the airlines really don’t want to ship your dog. Air transport of animals is very strictly controlled and so they make it a policy to discourage prospective customers in every way they can. Some of the ways are very subtle. For instance, have you ever noticed that all of the airlines have toll-free 800 numbers for air reservations and these numbers are often in service 24 hours… Air cargo offices, however, never [seem to] have 800 numbers and unless you are one of the elite few who can afford a kennel in a large metropolitan area, the chances are that you will have to pay at least a toll call if you need to contact the air cargo office. Furthermore, these offices are open only during regular business hours, which means you will have to pay the highest rate for your call.

Once you get the office on the phone, the real fun begins. Either the clerk will immediately put you on hold, before you can tell him you are calling long distance, or the person you have to speak to will be out to lunch or at a meeting. If you manage to get the right person the first time, the chances are that he will have left his book with all the information out on the loading dock and you will have to hang on while he goes to get it.

Actually, making phone contact with the right person is the easy part. Once you have him on the phone with all the information right at his fingertips, you will still have to pry each and every little bit of information out of him with a crowbar. During these conversations, it is important to remember that the clerk has had special training in discouraging you as a customer.

First, he will act like he never heard of the airport where you want to send your dog. Then he will spend 10 minutes looking up the flight information which he will spend another 10 minutes relaying to you. After all of that, he will decide the flight you want has to make three layovers and two changes of planes, and surely you wouldn’t want that! He will then agreeably suggest another airline that his airline is trying to put out of business. After 15 calls similar to this, you finally book a flight on Air-Hop Airlines and the telephone company builds another facility with the money from your phone bill.

When talking to the clerk at the cargo office there are a few things you must remember.

Always be suspicious of anyone who willingly volunteers air cargo information. The person is obviously a rank novice and doesn’t know any better. His older and wiser superiors will probably countermand every piece of information he gave you once you get to the airport with your dog.

Always check to see what time zone the clerk is referring to. You never know whether the man is talking about your time zone or one of the other 23 zones.

Never believe the information the clerk gives you concerning the size of crate you need to ship your dog. The properly trained clerk will always try to convince you that you need a Dane-sized crate for your 14-inch, 20-lb. Sheltie. If the crate size seems unreasonable, you can either call another airline or ask to speak to the manager.

Never believe you can ship more than one dog or puppy in one crate. They must always be shipped separately and they will get you at the airport for additional crates if you aren’t prepared in advance.

Always check to see if you need to make reservations in advance and then make the reservation 2 days sooner than necessary so the airline can’t claim it is booked up for the day you want.

Check to see if the air cargo office on the other end will be open when your dog is supposed to arrive. This is one little piece of information very vital to the safe shipping of your dog and one the clerk almost never thinks to check on until you are at the airport with your dog.

Find out what information you need on your health certificate from both cargo offices. The one at your end will probably give you the information needed to ship a dog into your state, but will neglect to look up the information for the state you are shipping to until you get to the office.

Never believe the number of health certificates you will need to ship your dog. This is another item the clerks usually get wrong. Always plan on at least two extra certificates.

Check with the person receiving the dog to see if the information they got from their cargo office agrees with the information you got. Many times the air cargo offices disagree on very important things like flight times, etc.

Find out from the clerk how many hours in advance of take-off you must arrive at the airport before shipping. Most air cargo offices require you to be at their office two hours before scheduled take-off so they can fill out the paper work and load at their convenience. The same is true of unloading, so have the person receiving the dog get an estimate from their cargo office on how long it will take to unload the plane.

The second thing you must understand about airlines is that they are going to do their best to part you from as much of your money as possible. They do this in not-so-subtle ways.

Take the crate problem. Many airlines will not accept wooden or all-metal crates. Most of them will not volunteer this information until you get to the airline office with your dog. Then, with a very apologetic air, they will explain to you that you have an unsuitable crate for your dog. Fortunately though, they have on hand a spare shipping crate which is a little big, but will do to ship your dog in. To add insult to injury, the crate usually isn’t worth half the price you have to pay for it. Furthermore, you have to pay extra shipping costs because the crate is larger than needed and shipping costs are based on the volume of the cargo rather than the weight. This means you have to pay the same price too ship a 5-lb. Poodle as a 100-lb. Mastiff if the Poodle is in a Mastiff-size crate. Naturally, the airlines are not going to volunteer this information as it brings in a nice healthy profit. This is one of the main reasons why it is so important to get an estimate on shipping costs before you ship. By shopping around for the least expensive airline, you can often save quite a bit of money.

Another way the airlines make extra money is through the sale of flight insurance. The airlines know that many people have an inflated idea of the value of the dog they are shipping. They also know that the insurance company isn’t going to pay one dollar more than what they consider to be the value of the dog [as a pet] should something happen to it. When someone insures their dog for a sum they know is unreasonable, the airline clerk simply smiles to himself and pockets the extra commission. It isn’t his job to advise the person that they are wasting their money.

As you can see, the dice seem to be loaded in the shipping game against the dog owner. There is a way to beat the system, however, and that is through proper planning. Having a list of the things that need to be done is a big help and can be used to coordinate the whole process. Your list should look something like this:

Dog to shipped from ______________airport to _____________________airport via___________airlines on __________. Departure time is _____am/pm on Flight#___________. There will be a change of planes in ____________. The new Flight# will be _______and will arrive at ______________Airport at _______am/pm. Dog must be at Air Cargo Office ____hours before departure time and may be picked up ____hours after arrival time. Reservations should be made ___days in advance. You must have ____copies of a Vet’s Health Certificate, including the following information: ______________________. The dog is _____high at the shoulder and weighs___lbs. The crate is___ high, __ deep, ____ wide and weighs____lbs. Estimated cost of shipping will be _________. Estimate given by ________________________ on __________________. Dog will be shipped to __________________________________ Address_____________________________

Phone #s1___________ 2______________

DAY OF FLIGHT CHECKLIST

The first part of the checklist is fairly straightforward and needs little explaining. All you need is a few copies of the checklist before you start calling the air cargo offices. Fill in the blanks with the information you have, before calling, then fill in the rest of the blanks as you talk to the clerk. Once you have decided on an airline you then have the person receiving the dog call their office and double check the information you have been given. Resolve any discrepancies in information before proceeding any further.

The second checklist is a little more involved unless you have shipped before. First of all, you will want to get estimates. There is no point in paying more for shipping than necessary. All airlines give about the same service and animal shipping is heavily regulated. Therefore, all you have to do is find the least expensive airline [that offers the fewest layovers and changes of planes].

Make an appointment to see your vet to get your dog’s health certificate and any shots it might need. Remember, the vet will have to have proof of any shots you might have given the dog yourself, or shots which were given your dog at some other place….It would be wise to get a health certificate for your own records even if the state of destination doesn’t require one. Make extra copies of all shot records and health certificate as you may need them once you get to the cargo office with your dog.

Make sure you buy your own crate well in advance of shipping if you don’t already have a suitable shipping crate. Make sure it is made of fiberglass or heavy plastic. Check to see if the door opens easily and closes securely. If the crate doesn’t have a non-skid floor, you will want to make one out of plywood or fiberboard. The dog will have to have traction when being loaded and unloaded or he might end up with a broken leg. Make sure the cage has a water bowl as some airports will not allow you to ship without an adequate water supply, even though it may be only a short trip. NEVER depend on buying a crate at the shipping office unless you like to gamble and have plenty of money. If the company doesn’t have the right size crate in stock, when you need it, you will have to buy a larger crate and that involves more money for the crate and more money for shipping. If you plan your dog shipping well in advance, you should be able to buy a good shipping crate [inexpensively] through your local classified ads.

When making your reservations, take the possibility of "bumping" into consideration. This is a quaint practice the airlines have of waiting until you get to the cargo office to notify you that there is no longer room on the flight for your dog. This is where "Shipping Roulette" really gets in to play. If you have been smart and reserved a place on the first flight out for the day, the chances are good that there might be room on a lighter flight. Key days for "bumping" are Mondays, Fridays, and holidays. Try to avoid these days whenever possible or be prepared to do a little gambling. [Note: You should never ship on a Friday anyway—air cargo offices close over the weekend. If the flight is delayed, the dog will be left unattended for that time]

Prepare the crate for shipping by putting in the floor and covering it with some suitable material like [shredded] newspaper or an old rug. Attach the water bowl to the crate door. Attach a label with all shipping information on it including your name, address and phone number, the name address and phone number of the person you are shipping to and the name and phone number of someone else the airline can call if the person who is supposed to pick up the dog doesn’t show up for one reason or another. Also attach a bag of dry food and a leash to one of the side vents. If the flight should get held up anywhere along the line, the dog may have to be fed and walked. Try to prevent this occurrence by shipping only on direct flight, even if it means paying a little more. Don’t gamble on your dog’s safety. Even the most level-headed dog has been known to panic occasionally and bolt from its handler.

Put all your shipping paperwork in an envelope and put it in your purse or in the glove compartment of your car. Do this the night before the flight as you may forget the papers in the confusion of the next day.

Sometime, right before shipping, give your dog a thorough breed grooming. If you can, get your dog tattooed on the inside right thigh with your social security number. Many obedience clubs offer this service and so do a number of grooming establishments and vets. If your dog should accidentally get lost, you will be able to prove ownership if it is found later. The grooming will help notify animal control wardens that your dog is lost and not just a stray. It also helps to put a snug-fitting leather collar with your name, address, and telephone number attached to it around your dog’s neck right before the flight.

On the day of shipping, go through the checklist again to make sure you have everything. Once you get to the airport, take all the paperwork with you when you go to the cargo office. Leave the dog in the car until the agent calls for it. Fill the water bowl with water or ice cubs, put on the dog’s collar… and otherwise relax until the clerk is ready to load your dog. [Be sure to walk your dog one last time before loading]. Once the dog in on the flight, call the person on the other need to let them know the dog is actually on its way.

I hope that you will find these lists a help in organizing the shipment of your dog. Plan well in advance and you shouldn’t have to be a victim of "Shipping Roulette."

Note: This article was published in the September/October, 1981 issue of the Sheltie Pacesetter pages 44-48. I only had a semi-legible copy in my archives so this article has been recreated to look like it did in the magazine. A couple of minor changes have been made. Most of these are in brackets. I didn't include the table, at the end of the article, as it was sadly out of date.