Monday, July 23, 2012

FOUR---LEGGED TRAVELERS


   If you are not someone like Paris  Hilton, traveling  with  pets is not something  you  normally  do. But if you do  have a pet, it is quite possible  that some day it may become your  companion  on a journey. To avoid  unnecessary  hassle  and annoyance, try to acquire all the necessary  information beforehand:  get acquainted  with the relevant  regulations  in the country  of your  destinations;   and by all means  consult  with your  vet about  your  pet’s  health.
   To travel  with a pet you will need a whole  bunch  of  documents  and,  first  of all, a veterinarian  passport. Many people  think that passports are needed only for pedigree “Club” dogs,  but  that is  not  true. The  owners  of the pets  that  are clud  members  receive  a so-called “birth  certificate”  attesting to the animal’s  breed,  which  entitles them for participation  at exhibitions  and contests. But that  “birth certificate” is  not a passport  and  cannot  authorize  traveling with a pet.
  Those who have four-legged  friends  may probably  that  there are certain  rules  about  the care of cats  and dogs  effective  on the territory of all countries. According to those  rules, all the dogs  belonging  to citizens  are subject  to mandatory  registration  and monthly registration.  Apart  from that, starting from  three months all dogs  should  be vaccinated  within two weeks of acquisition  against  rabies ( hydrophobia).  All  newly  purchased animals  are  required  to get  registered  within two  weeks of acquisition.
  Prior  to the travel, the pet must be completely  and totally  healthy: this  is  important  not only for the pet itself,  but also for its owner to get the necessary  references  from the vet.
  On  a plane,  animals  are transported  in the baggage  chamber.  Some  carriers  permit transporting  one pet (a  dog, a cat  or  a  bird)  in the cabin,  in a properly  manufactured  cage if the aggregate  weight  of the animal  and the cage does  not exceed  the allowed  kilos  for  hand luggage;   otherwise  your  minion will  have  travel  in the baggage  chamber.
    In order to travel  with a pet, the passenger  should  have an adequate  container.  The container  or the  cage  should be  made of  solid  material  like  plastic  or metal  because  the regulations  on the transportation  of animals prohibit  the  usage of  soft  material  bags.  The container  should  have  air-holes  and its  bottom should  be  water  resistant  covered  with a cloth.  The   containers  devised  for  dogs  should  allow the animal  to  stand  up  and  turn  at  360degrees.  As   an exception  to this  rule,  some  airline  companies  allow transporting  animals  in tightly  closed  baskets  or other  convenient  containers. 
   If your  four-legged  friend  is  traveling  in the cabin  of an airliner,  you  may not  let  it out  of the container  to take a walk  during  the flight.  This refers  particularly  to  cats  who should  not be allowed  to  sit  in their  master’s  lap:  the  animal  may get startled  by a  noise  or  movement  and  jump  on other passengers.  You do the math.
   As a general  rule, the weight  of the pet  container  is not included  in the  weight  of the complimentary  hand  baggage.  The owner  is charged  a supplementary  fee  for the container.  Free  of charge  transportation  is  permitted  only  for  guide  dogs  accompanying  their  masters  during   the  flight.
    To sum  it up,  before  setting  off for a journey  on board  a plane animals  should have a passport, a vet’s  certificate  from  their  registration  institution  and a certificate  asserting  to the fact  that  the animal  has  been  vaccinated.          One more  thing:  on the border  to some  CIS and other  countries  only  a vet’s  certificate is  required  at  the  entrance  to the  destination  country.  Entering  EU  states,  travelers  are   required  to  observe  certain rules and  regulations  even  if  they  are in  transit. Among  the  most  important  requirements  are the  availability  of a  vaccination  certificate  and  a  microchip  inserted  under the skin of the  animal  containing  information ( passport  data,  medical  examinations,  immunization  records,  etc.)  about  the pet. Also  you should  keep  in mind  that  when you  buy a ticket  the air  carrier  needs  to be  notified about  your  intention  to travel  with a pet  because  as  a general  rule,  they  enter that information  in their  log. 

  

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