California to Abu Dhabi, UAE
We are Fiji and Tico and we moved from San Diego, CA to Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is what our mom has to say about our move….
The most stressful part of moving with my husband to the UAE was all about how our two cats (Fiji and Tico) would survive the travel 1/2 way around the world. I was so pleased to get in touch with Angela as she was able to answer my very long list of questions. There are so many rules and regulations for each country and airline and I knew that hiring an expert would help us immensely.
I was pleased to have Angela’s assistance as there are many hoops to jump through and lots of paperwork that needs to be in order before the cats could travel. My biggest concern was that due to time constraints the cats had to be picked up by a third party, driven to LA and kept over night before they could even begin their long flight segments. However, the driver showed up and was a big sweetheart of a guy. He was very reassuring, introduced himself to our cats, told stories about his best pets and totally put me at ease. What a relief!
I am happy to report that the cats are doing extremely well. They have settled in and found all the best sunny spots in our new home.
Thanks World Pet Travel… we will be calling when it is time to move again!
Cheers,
Page
Honduras to Cebu Philippines
Dear Angela,
I want to thank you for the way you handled the trip from Roatan (an island off Honduras) to Cebu, Philippines for our three cats. They were just as calm and happy when they arrived, we’d have never guessed they had been on a 3 day trip around the world.
I was especially impressed when I found out that one of their connecting flights was late and instead of just putting them on the next flight which did not have sufficient air circulation, you held them safely until they could get on another flight that was safe. I am sure you deal everyday with people whose pets are family and very dear to them. We were concerned since this was the first time we had shipped our pets anyway but in the cabin. It was a delight to find them in such obviously good condition.
I have already recommended your company to friends who are having a hard time shipping their pets overseas. It is complicated and even one little glitch in a foreign country can spell disaster. We thank you for your conscientious and kind treatment and won’t hesitate to use you in the future.
Sincerely,
Pam Casey
p.s. we’re still trying to get the little devils all together for a family photo!
Runaway Cow Stops in at McDonald’s
While McDonald’s doesn’t seem like the first place a cow on the loose might go, that wasn’t the case for the runaway cow named Darcy.
Darcy is a good cow and normally doesn’t get in to trouble. But her owners say when she’s bored, she’ll do anything to get attention — including busting out of her pen.that wasn’t the case for Darcy, the runaway cow.
When Darcy escaped from her pen in he town of Brush in northeastern Colorado, she hoofed it half a mile where she finally wound up at a McDonald’s drive thru window.
The family joked that Darcy was probably visiting relatives.
Eventually, Darcy’s family was able to round her up and bring her back home.
Allergy Season Has Arrived
The dreaded allergy season is finally here for not only you but your pets as well. While our pets might not show the same symptoms as we do, they are still affected and suffer from allergies.
Excessive scratching and chewing at the paws can be signs of seasonal allergies. Your vets can help find the underlying cause for the allergies but luckily there are several sprays and shampoos that can help with the irritation.
If your pet suffers from hot spots, those painful patches of irritated skin, try Vet’s Best Hot Spot Itch Relief Spray, an alcohol-free and steroid-free spritz that can help control your pet’s excessive need to scratch. You can also dilute the spray with water and use it as a leave-in rub after bath time.
The only itch more annoying than a hot spot may be all-over irritated skin. The sweet-smelling PawGanics Soothing Foaming Pet Shampoo uses natural, plant-based ingredients to clean and comfort your pet’s itchy fur.
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. To keep your pet’s home pest-free and comfy, try Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Protection Spray, a mild, all-natural preventive spray that keeps away fleas and ticks from your pet’s bedding and fur. The spray uses natural ingredients like citronella oil, and natural astringents like witch hazel to help soothe your pet’s skin.
If your pet’s allergies are caused by flea bites, give yourself another powerful weapon in the war against pests with the Fly Free Zone Natural Fly Repellant Dog Collar. The sporty, comfortable collar uses citronella as its primary component — a plus if your pet also has allergies to flea and tick collars that use chemical ingredients.
Nearly Nine Hundred Dolphins Dead In Peru
Experts measure a dead dolphin washed up on the shore
Over the past four months nearly 900 dolphins have washed up on the shores of Peru’s coastline.
Teams are investigating what might be the cause of these mysterious deaths and have come up with a hypothesis.
It is most likely due to a virus but are waiting for further tests to rule out any possible environmental pollution or any other possibilities that are killing these marine mammals at an excessive rate.
6 Bulldog Puppies Found Inside a Suitcase
6 Bulldog puppies were found inside a suitcase in an alley in Toledo, Ohio recently.
Authorities say the man who allegeldy tried to abandon to puppies along with their mother made one big mistake after leaving them behind a city business.
He left his luggage tag with all of his personal information on the suitcase. Authorities were able to easily locate Mr. Davis is to be charged with two counts — one for the adult dog and the other for the puppies — of either first-degree or second-degree misdemeanor abandonment
Mr. Davis claims that he did not abandon the dogs but instead said he says that he had given the dogs to someone in Michigan. That doesn’t seem to add up seeing as the suitecase was found a quarter of a mile from Mr. Davis’s home.
The mother and pups are now being taken care of at the Toledo Area Humane Society.
They will be going to a foster home by the end of the week. They won’t be available for adoption for at least four weeks, officials said, but because they are part of a cruelty case, that time might be extended.
Illinois Man Drowns from Swan Attack
Early Sunday morning in a condominium complex close to Des Plaines, Illinois, Anthony Hensley, 37, reportedly drowned during a swan attack.
Swans have a seemingly peaceful demeanor about them and their monogamous ways has made them the symbol of lasting love. The graceful swan, usually snow white with long graceful necks have an aggressive side to them that most are unaware of. They are extremely territorial and and aggressive when they feel threatened. While this a good trait to have in terms of them driving away geese it doesn’t always end up happily.
Hensley was a married man, father of two who worked for a company that used dogs and swans to keep away unwanted geese. When he was checking on the swans on a kayak that morning a swan turned on him.
Cook County sheriff’s investigators believe Hensley either got too close to the swan or the swan’s nesting area, the Sun-Times said.
When the swan began its attack, Hensley fell out of the kayak, into the water, where the swan continued its ruthless attack. Despite his attempt to swim to the shore, the swan persisted. By the time emergency personnel got there, Hensley has already gone under the water. A biopsy showed that he had died from drowning.
Hensley liked working with animals, according to his father-in-law, George Koutsogiannis. “Maybe he didn’t fight back enough when the swan attacked him. Maybe he didn’t want to hurt the animal. I can’t understand how this was possible,” Koutsogiannis said.
Is Your Pet Ready for Travel?
Whenever getting in the car and plan on driving somewhere with your four-legged friend, there are some important safety rules that people need to keep in mind.
For most of us it has become habit to put our seat belts on when in the car, but that rule seems to slip people’s minds when it comes to their four-legged loved ones.
In a sudden stop or accident, a dog can become a flying projectile and can seriously injure you if not buckled up securely. A 60-pound dog/Golden Retriever becomes a projectile of 2,700 pounds at just 35 mph.
Statistics show that thousands of pets are injured in car accidents every year, just as humans, they need to be buckled up!
Our family recently lost one of our own, Julie, in a car accident. She was sitting in the back seat and when we slid on some ice and hit a tree head on, she came flying to the front of the car and hit the gear shift. We thought everything was fine but later that night we started noticing that she was not her jittery self. We rushed her to the emergency clinic where they explained that she had gone into shock. They did all they could to help her but her body was just unable to recover from the shock and she passed late that night.
It’s safe to say that we will never look over buckling up all of our loved ones and neither should you.
You can check out more information about this at Bark Buckle UP !
Yoda, named 2011′s ugliest dog, passed away in her sleep on Saturday at the age of 15. She was a mangy Chinese crested-Chihuahua mix with a beautiful personality claims her owner, Terry Schumacher.
Yoda was found behind an apartment complex and was apparently mistaken for a rat when first discovered.
She had a severe overbites, her eyes clouded with cataracts, she was missing patches of fur on her ears causing them to look bat-like, she also had a protruding tongue and spidery, hairless legs.
After beating 29 other canine contestants at the competition in Petaluma, Calif., last year, the 1.8-pound mix won $1,000 and became known as the “world’s ugliest dog”.
Schumacher says that she will miss “her funny little ways.”
Toxic Treats from China
In the past couple of months there have been several reported complaints to the FDA about dogs getting sick and dying in association to eating chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats), imported from China.
In the past four years the FDA has issued three separate warnings about chicken jerky, saying that owners need to watch their pets closely for signs of illness after giving their pets these treats.
Such signs include:
- decreased appetite
- decreased activity
- vomiting
- diarrhea, sometimes with blood
- increased water consumption; and/or
- increased urination
Several samples from around the country have been collected and are being tested. Tests have been negative for toxic metals but the FDA continues to actively investigate the problem and its origin.
No cause for the sickness has been determined so there have been no recalls on the products, but the FDA is working hard to develop an answer.
As soon as the FDA identifies the cause the public will be notified and action will be taken
Resort Living for Pets
We all know it can be hard to find a kennel that fits your wants and needs for your pet while you’re away. Now there are comfortable facilities near airports that make it easier than ever. More than a dozen airports in the United States have pet-stay facilities nearby, and more are planned.
These facilities are equipped with swimming pools, flat-screen tv’s, spacious rooms, spa treatments, the whole shebang.
Like any other parent wanting to check in on their kids, travelers will be able to do so with the popular webcam.
“When parents are away, they can check in on their babies,” said Saq Nadeem, who founded Paradise4Paws, which has locations at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.
They also offer customers the option of 24/7 drop-off and pickup, along with discounted or free airport parking.
The price is around $34 to $37 a night, depending on the location — plus extras like special treats, flat-screen televisions, DVDs and pet massages.
“Travelers don’t want to add to their stress by dropping off their pet a day early or waiting a day later,” said Mr. Nadeem (owner of a pet-stay facility, Paradise4Paws). His facility has pet suites, flat-screen TVs, large open spaces, a dog bone-shaped pool and real-time webcams. And cats stay in bungalows with window perches, aquariums to watch fish and access to special climbing trees.
Take a tour of the facility nearest you and see what you think, you won’t be disappointed!
Detroit to Abu Dhabi
Joey and Barney almost missed their flight to Abu Dhabi today 
After their flight from Detroit to Chicago on Delta was cancelled (because of a snow storm that was blown way out of proportion in Chicago). Ken came to the rescue and drove them last minute all the way from Detroit to Chicago.
Joey and Barney made it to Chicago just in time for their KLM flight to Amsterdam where they will board for 24 hours before heading onto Abu Dhabi to be reunited with Dimple and Nikil, their owners.
Off to a rough start but certain for a happy ending when they are finally reunited after being apart for several weeks. All’s well that ends well they say.
Louisville to Kiev, Ukraine
Rosie and Jules traveled from Louisville, Kentucky all the way to Kiev, Ukraine this past week. They made a brief layover in Atlanta, where our friend Dennis took them out and attended to them while they checked out the sites at the Atlanta airport.
After their short visit in Atlanta they then flew to Frankfurt, Germany, where they had another break in their travel and a chance to practice their German with Faruk and Kay, our friends at GK Air.
Finally they took the last leg of their trip for Kiev. Their journey ended shortly after noon on Valentines Day and they were reunited with Anthony.
A long trip but well worth it in the end!
Continental and United Airlines Merge
Starting March 3, United and Continental will be merging and adopting Continental’s pet transportation program, known as “PetSafe”.
These new regulations mean that pets will no longer be allowed to be checked as baggage. They will need to fly as cargo which will be a bit more expensive.
However, United claims that the cost differences won’t be much greater than checking them as baggage would be. For example, the cargo rate for an animal that weighs between 10 and 50 pounds coming to the U.S. from Micronesia would be $309. A smaller animal would cost $259, United spokeswoman Mary Ryan says.
United says that they are picking up this program because of the many resources available for handling the pets in their care. Several pet transportation professionals have praised about this new adoption of the PetSafe program.
“They’re fantastic with their animals,” says Gay O’Brien, former president of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. “We’re all so pleased that United is picking that up.”
DogTV
It may sound a bit strange to think of your pets watching TV, but research shows that with the right programming DogTV can help relax your pets while you’re out of the house.
Dog TV launched in San Diego this week and is so far the only place that is airing the station.
The station includes over 800 programs, each only lasting three to five minutes, which is about how long the dogs attention span lasts. It is constantly showing new content to keep the dog engaged. It includes situations that are seemingly relaxing for the dog; car rides, runs around the park, dogs sleeping, etc.
For now the station is free to all cable subscribers but will eventually rise to a $5 monthly fee as its rating go up.
Cesar Millan say’s that when a dog is separated from their owner it is one of the most stressful things for them to go through. He went on to say this to Today.com, ”Don’t make a big production of leaving because it will raise their excitement level. Make sure they have their favorite toys – particularly ones that engage them. And if your dog is calm, let him kick back and watch all the TV he likes.”
It’s unclear whether or not our pets watching TV while we’re gone will help, but it can’t help to try it out.
Looking for Love in the Wrong Places?
No need to worry if you’ve chosen the right pet for you and your lifestyle anymore. Much like our online dating services like eHarmoney, Meet Your Match helps evaluate the shelter pets along with the people looking to adopt to ensure a perfect match.
Emily Weiss, vice president of shelter research and development for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, designed Meet Your Match, which is now used by shelters around the country.
Meet Your Match is designed to match personalities, energy level and needs of both the shelter pets and the people looking to adopt.
After answering a short 19 question survey, the people looking to adopt are given a color and matched with the appropriate pet, based on a color-coded program.
The pets are studied for about 15 minutes by staff members to see whether they lay down, jump around, curl up or whatever else they choose to do. They like to see how the pets play and interact to guarantee a good fit. The pets are then assigned a color- green, orange or purple-based on what the staff members picked up on.
The colors meanings differ between cats and dogs, seeing as they already have such different personalities.
When dogs are considered in the green category this means that the dog has a hyper, both physically and mentally constantly on the move type personality. Orange is a more go-with-the-flow kind of personality because they can be hyper and run around but they wouldn’t mind cuddling in bed with you. The purple is considered the easy going dog.
When cats are assigned in the green category this means that they are the adventurous ones that like to scurry around. Orange, again, are considered to have the go-with-the-flow lifestyle. Purple is best fit in a calm atmosphere, seeing as they require a less exciting lifestyle.
It’s easy to go into a shelter and base your decision off the way a dog looks or seems to act while you’re there but bringing them home could change things. Whether you bring the pet home to an extremely upbeat household with kids running in and out or to a more relaxed atmosphere with not a lot going on there’s no telling how the pet will react.
It’s important to keep in mind that while the appearance of the pet might attract you to it, you also need to figure out if it will fit with your lifestyle. Meet Your Match is an easy process to guarantee you leave with the perfect pet.
-This is all based on an article “Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your Match” written by Sue Manning.
Cooper with his Snuggle Puppy
Just home from the Snuggle Puppy Hospital, the Stork has delivered our new little Snuggle Puppy for Cooper and you can see that Cooper has taken to him right off.
From the warmth of the puppy to the beating heart, Cooper latched right onto this little Peluche as soon as we unwrapped it from the box it arrived in.
Snuggle Puppies and Snuggle Kitties are as amazing as I thought they would be and Cooper is no doubt in full agreement with me.
Cooper is never left alone long enough to have time to be lonely, scared or stressed, but has chosen to take this little puppy as his friend, and that speaks volumes for this product!
If Cooper likes this Snuggle Puppy your little one will surely like one too!
Cooper gives it 5 STARS!!!!
Spaymart
I just came upon this marvelous organization for abandoned and mistreated cats called Spaymart. Their sanctuary is located in Picayune, Mississippi on 27 acres with several spacious air-conditioned and heated buildings for some 300 cats.
Lynn Chiche and Pam Casey are the founders of this sanctuary and have been spaying and neutering up to 200 cats each month over the last 10 years and adopting some 300 cats a year out of their organization through various outlets such as Petco, Petsmart and others.
Visit their website at www.spaymart.org to learn more about their mission and to see how you can help with their goal of aiding in the placement of abandoned and misplaced animals. You can make a difference!
Honduras to Cebu Philippines
Kiwi, Paco and Mickey are in the process of getting all of their documents in order for their long journey from Roatan, Honduras to Cebu, Philippines. It is not an easy route for these three big kitties. There are no flights out of Roatan as the planes that fly out of there do not take pets internationally, only to TGU which is where we have to begin this trip. Pam is going to fly them from SAP to TGU on an early morning flight…but wait….this is after we flew travel crates down to them as there are not any travel crates available in Roatan for sale. Luckily Pam has a friend that was nice enough to bring the crates down as excess baggage after we had them drop shipped to her in Louisiana.
After Pam receives the kennels she will get the health certificates for her kitties, then send them to WPT for us to acquire the import permits from Malaysia. Once we have the import permits from Malaysia the kitties can fly.
They will fly from SAP to TGU early in the morning. They will then fly from TGU (still in Honduras) to IAH (Houston, Texas) where they will spend the night after they clear customs. On the following day they will be checked into another airline for a flight to MNL(Manilla) by way of AMS(Amsterdam). They will stop over in Amsterdam for approximately 8 hours so that they can get out and stretch a bit between flights. Here we will also try to get them to eat a bit before their connecting flight. They will then be put on another flight to MNL. They will fly through the night and arrive in Manilla at 9:55am. Once they have cleared customs they will again have a brief period to get out and stretch a bit before being put on yet another flight to Cebu which is their final destination. This is a short flight of only an hour or so.
Once the kitties arrive in Cebu, Pam will pick them up and all will be joyously reunited once again.
This is a very long trip for animals but with breaking it up like we do it is not difficult for them and they handle the move very well. They don’t really have jet lag because they get a lot of rest time in between flights. It has been proven that taking shorter flights with breaks in between are far better for animals than trying to do it in 1 or 2 long flights. The pets tend to get sick more often when pushed into the longer flights.
This should be a very successful trip.
Snugglekitties and Snugglepuppies
Snugglepuppies and Snugglekitties are the coolest thing I have seen in awhile. They are sure to capture the heart of your new little puppy or kitten!
These plush little pelucha's have a beating heart and are heated which make the puppies/kittens feel as though they are snuggling up to mom.
For those long drives when your dog is so uncomfortable in their kennel, this can offer them the comfort you cannot. They will snooze the whole trip!
Each Snuggle Kittie comes with a battery powered heart, to create the sensation of a live pet as well as the heater pak to provide warmth for your pet. Your pet will love it as they snuggle with their own little SnuggleKittie or SnugglePuppie.
Check out the website where you can order these for your little ones. They sell for a terrific price too!
Snuggle Puppies .... http://tinyurl.com/6to29nn
Snuggle Kitties ... http://tinyurl.com/833eekm
