Pet~Pourri: Vacationing With Your Pet

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Vacationing With Your Pet

We are at that time of year when people go on vacation. Being in rescue, I can’t tell you how many pets we have taken in because the owners were going on vacation and wouldn’t take their pet with them or board them. Traveling with your pet is really not that difficult, if you plan ahead. If you know where you are going, do some research to find pet friendly lodging. You could even plan your vacation around your pet.

The key to a fun vacation with your pet is planning and research. Last minute travel with your pet could cause headaches…so plan ahead. I found this website while researching this topic called Pet Hotels of America. It helps you find pet friendly lodgings, restaurants, parks, beaches, etc… This is an excellent tool to use while planning your vacation. Here is another blog I wrote back in March regarding flying with your pet.

The number one rule while planning your vacation is that your pet needs to be comfortable. Pets are most comfortable in familiar settings, so traveling will be exposing them to new settings. Make sure you take what you need to make your pet comfortable while traveling. Bring some favorite toys, blankie, food, food dishes, etc… Here is an article I found that gives some great tips for traveling with your pets.

Another thing to remember is safety. Especially if traveling by car. Accidents do happen and we’ve had many instances where a family was traveling with their pet, got in an accident, and the pet was lost. Make sure your pets are safely kenneled while traveling. Make sure they have collars on that have your current contact information (Especially your cell phone number if you are traveling). And please, please, please microchip your pet before you travel. If something does happen and your pet is found, they can be scanned for a microchip and returned to you very quickly.

Also, take copies of your pet’s medical history with you. Just in case something happens and you need to take your pet to a vet, you will have the information with you that they will need in order to treat your pet. Also take a pet first aid kit with you.

If you are taking your pet on a boat, make sure you have a life vest for your pet. These are fairly inexpensive and can be found at most pet stores.

If you are leaving your pet in a hotel room while you go out, make sure you have a kennel with you that you can leave your pet in. You don’t want to come back to a room that is torn apart because the pet is stressed by the new environment you left them in. The hotel wouldn’t appreciate it either.