Summer and I have been so busy we both absolutely forgot that we need to find someone to watch Monkey while she and her dad (Mike) come down for 7 days to check out the house. After a bunch of calls, Quinn is going to watch her for us. She is close to going into heat again and he just got a new dog…he’s going to have his hands full. I owe him big.

I mentioned to Mark and Robin that I miss my dogs and I couldn’t wait to get them down here. They are going to love it. That is when they told me that when you ship your pet to Puerto Rico you have to do so in the winter time because of the extreme summer time heat. The cut-off date for shipping dogs to Puerto Rico is May 15th. That is days away. So, I got on the phone and started making phone calls. They were right, most airlines stop shipping pets to the tropics in mid may because of the extreme heat on the tarmac. As a matter of a fact, Jet Blue won’t even except pets.

The last airline I checked was Continental…and let me tell you. We are saved. Continental has a new Pet Shipping program that is top notch and they’ll ship year around anywhere. The reason they can do this, is because they have AC transport trucks to make transfers and bring the pets to baggage. Also, the plane is climate controlled and pressurized to the same settings as the cabin. This makes me feel so much more comfortable about shipping the dogs. Monkey and Kuta will be flying from San Diego at 8:00am to Newark, then on to Aguadilla arriving at 10:42pm. Here is some more information that I found on flying your pet to Puerto Rico;

Continental Pricing (www.cocargo.com)
$189 – below 50 lb
$239 – up to 70lbs
$299 – over 70lbs

RESTRICTIONS of traveling with pets
Brachycephalic (Short-Nosed) Dog Breeds

Extra care is required when the following breeds are shipped because they often have hereditary respiratory problems. These animals are susceptible to increased risk of heat stroke and breathing problems when exposed to stress or extreme heat:
American Staffordshire Terrier
Boston Terrier
Boxer
Brussels Griffin
Bull Terrier
Dutch Pug
English Bulldog
English Toy Spaniel
French Bulldog
Japanese Chin
Japanese Pug
Pekinese
Shih Tzu
Staffordshire Bull Terrier

At the recommendation of our consulting veterinarian, Continental Airlines will now require the following to reduce stress and heat exposure, when shipping or handling the above-mentioned breeds.

On the recommendation of our consulting veterinarian, Continental Airlines will now require the following to reduce stress and heat exposure when shipping or handling the above-mentioned breeds: Use 1 size larger kennel than is normally required Use a kennel with ventilation on 4 sides. (If the kennel does not have ventilation on 4 sides, modify the kennel by drilling 7 holes in the rear top and 7 holes in the rear bottom of the kennel using a 3/4 inch keyhole bit). Acclimate the animal to the kennel by letting the animal spend time in the kennel for several days before its departure. Do not place food in the kennel during the flight, just water. Provide plenty of water to the animal. Frozen water bottles with tiny holes punched in the sides make a great watering tool for several hours when placed in the kennel’s watering dish.

Restricted Cities or Countries Country of Origin or Destination Pet Policy (warm-blooded live animals) Dominican Republic Pets cannot be transported due to space constraints. Germany Shipments must be booked at least 72 hours prior to departure to allow processing with the German authorities. Grand Cayman Pets can be transported in cabin (subject to In-cabin Pet Policy). Pets cannot be transported as cargo due to space constraints. Italy Commercial Shippers only at the discretion of the airline. (No individual shipments) Peru All domestic cats entering the country of Peru must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture (SENASA) at the Peruvian Agrarian Health National Service. Embargos American Pit Bull Terriers (Pit Bulls, Pit Bull Terriers) Continental Airlines will accept American Pit Bull Terrier puppies which are between 8 weeks and 6 months of age provided they do not weigh more than 20 lb (9 kg). All American Pit Bull Terriers more than 6 months old or weighing more than 20lb (9 kg) will be refused. This embargo does not apply to American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or Miniature Bull Terriers. Crossbreeds with American Pit Bull Terriers are also excluded from this embargo. This embargo is due to the aggressiveness of the breed and the danger presented to our aircraft and our customers.

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/default.aspx

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live_animals/pets.htm

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 12th, 2007 at 11:32 am and is filed under Pets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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