missionuk

I know exactly how you feel. I am going through so much anxiety since I read that page. Its not only the airlines, in fact in most cases it seems to be the luggage handlers who are to blame, together with the lack of interest from the airlines involved when they are approached about abuse incidents.

I am supposed to be flying with Virgin Atlantic with my little Bichon Frise Dog and Siamese Cat and I have written to them to get some guarantee that they have educated everyone involved from departure to arrival what their procedure is. I expect to have a reply by letter that I can show to their staff on the day of my departure. Maybe you can do the same - if they know you are aware of their 'pet history' they might be more cautious.

Since we are paying equivalent in price to an adult air fare for our pets, it's about time they had special planes, even just one every month, where both owners and pets could travel together. I wish I had enough money and time to charter a flight to accomodate our needs.

Fu was never found unfortunately. Just make sure you get the strongest crate and that there is sufficient padding underneath your cat. KLM who have an amazing policy ( pets are allowed to travel with their owners) recommend SKY crates. They are not part of the Pet Passport Scheme though.

I'll let you know the response I get from Virgin Atlantic.

daisymoll

That story has made me really worried also but I have no other choice bar, leaving my dogs behind which would just break my heart also, so I will just have to worry and make sure that all the stewardesses and pilot are aware that there are animals on the flight and that they are checked upon before we take off.

I know the story about Fu is awful but it does seem to be a fairly isolated case. (Please don't highlight any more cases or I am going to be having a hissy fit on the day I fly home). We have flown out here with our dogs once with Air Canada and they were absolutely fine.

We have sent the website to Air Canada and CFIA anyway.

Its worth the risk, when chances are more likely that they will be fine.

rooster

Thanks for that. Guess we'll just have to grin and bear it, ho hum... We're actually looking forward to taking our cat back cos since he's been out here, he's had to stay indoors a fair amount due to local wildlife (especially 'fischers' which are like big weasels who eat cats!!) and, of course, snow for 5 months of the year! He's very much an 'outdoor' cat so we feel we've been rather unfair to him.

Anyway, keep us posted on everything.

Here's a piccie of our little fella during his first winter in Canada - and probably the first time he's seen snow, poor thing!

daisymoll

He looks gorgeous, our dogs had to adapt to going to loo on snow only, and they seemed to do so better than I thought they would actually!!

missionuk

I am taking both my dog and my cat back to UK. Savannah here was about three years of age when I adopted her from the humane society. She is very timid with everyone but me! Because she didn't have much of a life before I got her, I couldn't possibly leave her here in USA not knowing whether she would yet again go to a home that didn't care for her. I couldn't have children due to a car accident, so I give all my maternal affection to both my cat and dog.

rooster

Savannah is absolutely beautiful! So glad she is in good hands now. How do you feel about flying her back to the UK? It's certainly a tough decision. I know how you feel about your pets being your children. We absolutely dote on Oscar (also a rescue cat) and can't do enough for him. In return, he's been so loving and responsive and is a joy to have around - but he's only like that with us - no-one else! Guess we've earned his trust now.

We're trying to be positive about the journey back. One consolation is, our pets won't have to go through 6 months quarantine in the UK anymore which is fantastic.

In the meantime, we're hoping that KLM will become one of the airlines on the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) to the UK so then we can take our Oscar in the cabin with us and not the hold (they're a very pet-friendly airline apparently). Here's hoping they do so soon - we have about a year before we go back to the UK.

All the best to you and your furry friends,

Sheryl

missionuk

Thank you for your compliment about Savannah - she is so feminine in every movement she makes but very tough also.

I wrote to KLM and they replied that they have no plans to be joining the Pet Scheme - oh what a shame

I'm going back in February. My mother has just developed macular degeneration and can only partially see out of one eye. I always promised her that I would never allow her to go into a home (she doesn't want to move over here to the USA to live with me) therefore I have no alternative but to move back home. I don't mind though, we live on the Isle of Wight which is sooooo beautiful - STILL!!! My dog Maxi is just going to love the freedom when we go for walks along the white cliffs and to run around freely on the beach

rooster

Maxi is a little cutie! Do he and Savannah get on okay? Our kitty, Oscar, is petrified of dogs which is a shame as I adore 'em!

Anyway, back to business! I contacted KLM recently and thought you might find this reply of interest:-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for your E-mail and interest in KLM Cargo.

KLM Cargo has joined the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) as of May 1st, 2003.
However currently we are only allowed to ship cats and dogs as manifested
cargo to the UK from EUROPEAN (only) PETS countries. We are investigating
the possibilities to offer the same service from long haul countries (like
the US) in the future.

This means that we can offer you the following:

Ship your cat as excess luggage with the KLM Passenger
departmentToronto-Amsterdam:
Please contact your local ticket provider or contact our Passenger
Department via www.klm.com

For the second strech Amsterdam-London Heathrow we would like to advise you
to contact Exel. This is a freight agent in Amsterdam that can check the
possibilities to ship your cat under PETS with another airline (British
Midland).

Exel Freight Management (Netherlands) BV
Live Animals Logistics, Hoeksteen 157, 2132 MX Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
Tel: (31) 20 655 1282 / 1235. Fax: (31) 20 655 1259
Email: [email protected]
Contacts: Stephanie Verheul or Ton Amama

Please take into account that pets shipped under PETS to the UK are only
allowed to be shipped as MANIFESTED CARGO and not as excess luggage.

Kind regards,

Anouk Dozel
Int. Sales Support Animal Care
KLM Cargo Specialties"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder if this means that Oscar CAN come in the cabin with us for the first stretch? I'm confused!!! I'll have to do some more investigations I think...

Sheryl

missionuk

Hi Sheryl,

This is an exerpt from the DEFRA fact sheet for the Pet Travel Scheme:

(a) How to travel
Dogs and cats travelling from the USA or Canada are required to travel to the UK on an air route approved for PETS by the UK Government. These routes will take you only to an airport in England, not one in Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. Animals travelling from the USA or Canada may not enter the UK on a route departing from any other country. They must also travel as cargo in a container bearing an official seal (part 3b). Check costs, requirements and procedures with your travel company well before you travel.

In other words, even if the airline allowed the cat to travel in the cabin, DEFRA do not. It sounds to me that you cannot make a stopover in any other country - it has to be a direct flight from Canada or USA directly to London Heathrow.

I am sure you have this fact sheet already, but here is the address just in case:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quar...heet.htm#part3

Savannah and Maxi play tag together, go for strolls side by side in the yard and eat out of the same dish!! If Savannah does not come in when I call her, I send Maxi out to get her. He barks a couple of times, she appears and he 'herds' her into the house - that is sooo comical . The two of them sit on my lap together - maxi wiggles his little bottom into place so that he is snuggled up against her. So yes, they do get along really well.

rooster

Hello again,

Thanks so much for clarifying that - so many mixed messages and having my hopes raised and dashed all the time, grrr

Sheryl

P.S: Your animals' antics sound absolutely adorable!

missionuk

I don't believe this. First of all my vet administers the blood test immediately after the rabies vaccination instead of waiting 30 days. Then I asked them to check that the test was FAVN.

For some reason they called Kansas Lab and the next thing they tell me is that the lab has LOST Maxi's blood sample. This is devastating news for me as I need to be out of the country by January 31st or I will be banned for at least 3 years!!

I would still have been in status if the blood test hadn't been lost. The reason why I am so angry, is that there aren't any quarantine kennels on the Isle of Wight. I would have to book into a hotel for over a month in Hampshire somewhere plus pay for quarantine for Maxi if I want to be near him (I can't just leave him there without visiting). All this extra expense is not something I can afford. How unlucky can you get??

I am going tonight with Maxi to take the FAVN test again!

You know between the horror stories about the treatment of pets on the flight journey and this blow about the blood test, not forgetting the anguish involved in selling my house and all my belongings etc etc - I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown.

Oh to be back home RIGHT NOW!! All this worry is wearing me down

janie jane

Mission UK.

So sorry you are having such trouble...surely if a lab looses a test that you can prove was taken, they are liable for your costs?

It all sounds like a big pain, I am not looking forward to it, but at least I am now better informed!

Good luck!


Jane.

MrsLondon

Hi Jane, there's a special pet section on the discussion forum at www.americanexpats.co.uk. You can read postings of people who have sucessfully used the Pet Passport scheme to bring their dogs and cats from the US to the UK. Look under the immigration section, it's a subsection of that. I'm sure you'll be reassured.