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By car:
We suggest that your dog wear a vest, have a copy of the Federal Law and our ID card is handy to have - a lot of people ask for the dog's "papers". It is not the law that a dog must have an identifying vest on, but people are getting used to seeing that and it does make public access easier. It is for this reason that we include the items in our Service Dog Package which has everything that should make your travel easier and less confrontational. We find that when confronted - usually just showing the Federal Law Card does the trick. Of course, our dog always wears his vest too - but some people will stop you anyway. There is a book called "Traveling with your Pet" if you choose to look for a hotel that is pet-friendly - you do not have to do that. AND most hotels will let you know if they take "pets" - AAA uses paw prints to let you know what amenities a hotel provides and so do many other hotel chain websites. Best Western generally accepts pets. However, you don't need to seek a "pet friendly" hotel. AND you do NOT have to pay a pet deposit for a Service Dog - but you may have to prove he is a service dog - most hotels will not question you but there is always the exception.
We keep a bed in the back of the car for his comfort. Don’t forget to make frequent stops so your pet can get air and relief breaks. |
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By air:
When we travel I make our reservations online, then I follow up immediately with a telephone call to the airline to alert them that we have a Service dog and we reserve the bulkhead seats. The dog lies down at the bulkhead at our feet. The blanket rolls up and fits in the backpack nicely and we lay it down on the floor so that a) it is more comfortable to lay on - the floor gets hard and hot, b) it has the dog's scent on it and he is more calm and familiar and c) it keeps dog hair off the cabin floor. As soon as we get into the cabin we lay the blanket down and the dog backs into the space so that his head faces the aisle. He lies down and goes to sleep. We take off his vest while on the plane so that he is more comfortable.
No matter where you go, the dog is required to have a health certificate within 10 days of travel from city of origin (not the return). You can get this certificate from your vet. It is usually $25.
It is best to not feed your dog after 6 pm the night before, and any water he gets after he wakes up in the morning is used to wet his lips and not drink. On the way to the airport you should take him to the dog park to run, make sure he does his business and again at the airport before going through security. Many airports now have Service Dog Relief Areas. I bring Pee-Pee pads with me always just in case.
When you call ahead to let them know that your Service Animal requires special seating arrangements. Be sure to tell the Airline personel that if possible please place you in the Area with most available open space for the comfort of the passengers, yourself and the Service Animal. If the flight is not packed, they usually will sit you in bulkhead seats alone for extra room at no extra charge. Sometimes this effort to get the bulkhead works, and sometimes it doesn't - in which event, there is a scramble at the gate to reassign seating to others once they see you coming.
When traveling to other countries, you must find out the requirements of entering each country you travel to. |
