By Linda Tancs

Air transport of pets can be a very traumatic experience, particularly if the size of the pet prevents you from traveling together in the cabin.  If you must transport your pet by air, you can check the pet incident reports for any given airline at airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm.  That should help you find the airline with the best track record when it comes to pet handling.  If you do encounter a problem, file a report with your airline to initiate the tracking process, much as if you’d lost a suitcase.  However, if your pet is irretrievably lost, you are likely to get only the market value for your pet.  If you think that the airline acted badly, file a complaint with them and with government authorities.  Find out how at the US Humane Society’s Web site at www.hsus.org.  You should also look into posting details about your pet on www.pets911.com. 

Traveling internationally?  Don’t forget to check with your vet on immunization certificates and other procedures that may be required depending on your destination.