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Maybe you can check with some of the rescues that use Pilots for paws as maybe they have a rescue flying that way and your dog could go along?
There is also that airline that is for dogs as maybe even if they do not fly right to where you are going they may fly to a location that is within a few hrs to a days driving distance?
I think most airlines will not fly english bulldogs unless they are a puppy that can ride under the seat.
When Chaos flew as checked baggage the are she was in was pressurized and temperature controlled the heat danger is when the plane is on the tarmack or if it is real hot out even the crate sitting out on the tarmack waiting to be loaded with the hot sun beating down on it.
I have a friend that is a Delta Pilot and he says he would fly his dogs...of course he did tell me it was a good thing Chaos did not fly Delta as I would not have gotten her as he would have stolen her as he was so smitten with her when he met her as a puppy! ( he was kidding so don't worry the pilot will not steal your dog that was his way of telling me how much he loved my new puppy)
We have flown with pets many times, ut always small pets that can be brought as carry on. Once looked into shipping our mastiffs by air, but they crate required by the ariline had to be cusotm made and then wieght too much and was too big to go in the plane. INstead we rented a car and drove them. We took three days to cross the country. There are hotels, mostly motel 6 that allow you to bring your dogs into the room. We had a very nice trip and the dogs enjoyed it a great deal. It was less expensive the flying them if flying had been possible.
We also looked into putting htem on a train - not possible. Takes too long and there is no one to feed them and let them out at stops.
One other solution a friend did is find some college kids travelling to the same state. Pay them to take your dog, or even have them drive in your car if you need to ship your car as well.
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We're trying to prevent a tragedy. Many of us read about and research these topics. Sometimes solutions are not convenient but we're speaking as people who love animals and really do wish to see your dog arrive safely at his new home.
Last edited by Sam I Am; 02-19-2013 at 02:34 AM..
Reason: personal attack
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I'm not a breeder and I fly my dogs when needed. It's less risk than just about any other option if you buy a quality carrier, replace the plastic bolts with metal bolts, buy tie downs, and print your contact info on every side of the carrier. There is more risk of you getting in a horrendous car accident driving across country than something going wrong on a 5 hour flight.
Last edited by Sam I Am; 02-19-2013 at 02:35 AM..
Reason: orphaned - the post you refer to has been deleted
Do not use Delta. I have used them 3 times in 15 years and had nothing but issues. They seem to be very lax at keeping track of the animals and have "lost" the dogs (during layovers) sent to me each time resulting in 8 plus hour waits, they cannot find them in the system when I called and basically had no idea where they were, and the dogs arrived covered in feces.
That being said, Continental is great. I know 2 other breeders here that are also 30 minutes away from the airport that has Delta, and everyone chooses to drive over 1 hour to another airport to use Continental. Continental is fabulous - I have used them 15 times with absolutely zero issues.
Be sure to get detailed info over the phone of what you need for the flight, and follow it to the T. Call back and talk to multiple people and make a list. Some people on the phone seem clueless and will not give you the correct info. They are very strict with pet flights, and if you forget to do 1 single thing, they will send you home and the dog will miss the flight. For example some require you to show up 2 hours before the scheduled flight - no later.
Im not sure how much experience people have who are telling you to never fly your dogs. Thousands of dogs are flown everyday with zero issues. I have flown dogs overseas with zero issues. It really is not a big deal, just follow the instructions.
A dog is 10x more likely to get lost, stressed, or injured being shuttled long distance by car.
Dogs are shipped in the belly of the plane, freezing temps. Flat nosed dogs suffer greatly in this type condition.
I would avoid flying them as cargo at all costs if it were my pet. He is too big for a carrier?? Buy him a seat.
This is not true. I fly a flat faced breed and they are in a special section of the plane that is fully climate controlled.
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