Hi Everyone,
Does anyone Know where I can pick up an airline crate for a pet dog, from a store near the Reading or South Hampton areas.
Im having to fly home to Canada while my partner waits in the UK a little quicker than we thought for family reasons, I need the cage by Wed next week to travel on AirTransat...I was hoping to pick it up, instead of ordering online, to be sure she had a chance to get use to it over the weekend. Shes a large retriever and most of the smaller local stores dont have them in stock and they take a week to order. Does anyone know some larger pet stores in the UK that may carry it instock.

Any Ideas...I thought I read a thread that said there was a store near Gatwick but it didnt mention the store.. If anyone has traveled with their pet on airtransat..was there a specific cage or is any airline approved cage acceptable...im hoping she will feel secure and they are good with dogs...do they let them out on arrival as I go through customs..any info would be helpful, im dreading doing this to her...oohhh the guilt caused from those eyes
Thanks...if you can help .......Anne

I ordered one on line - came in 2 days with free post and packing. The website was www.caninekennels.com. Excellent crate at a good price with free, quick delivery - what more could you want!!

Thanks Gloveman, checked out the site you sent me and its a great price compared to what I have seen...some of the stores have told me to find out if my airline approves specific brands as they have had some returned even though they said airline approved....I guess it depends on the airline...Im flying with Air Transat...is that the airline you used and was there no problem with that crate you purchased
Thanks for your help Anne

I have just bought two Vari-kennels from the website which Angela quoted, as they were cheaper on there than on other sites I have looked at. I ordered them today after reading the post, so hopefully they will arrive in the next couple of days. We will fly Air Transat as well. I got mine for my cats though, not a dog. I got a small one and a medium one as one of our cats is huge, so a "dog-sized" cage is better for him!!

Lisa

Also check out http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-det...egory/193.html

The company is based in Essex, but they do offer a 48hr delivery option.

The Pet Cargo carriers are far sturdier (in my opinion) than the vari kennels that the other place you've been recommended are offering, but then the price reflects this. If you're talking about a labrador sized dog, you'll need either the 800 or most likely the 900, which is £95 (for the 800) or £115 (for the 900 model). There's no way that Air Transat won't approve these travel kennels, but they are weightier than the Vari Kennel of equivalent size...and so would add more to the cost of shipping your dog.

HTH,
Alex

Try ladyhaye.co.uk as well. They are located in surrey and will supply pet travel boxes. Not sure how long the turn around is but worth a look.

Glad I could help. We are flying out in May with Transat. When I made the booking Transat told we that the kennel had to be rigid side and could have a wire door, big enough for the dog and to allow him to turn around and airline approved. They didn't say it had to be a particular brand so I presume it is okay. We were really pleased with the kennel but we ordered the extra large one for our collie and it is big. It's not a problem as he'll have that bit extra room and big or small Transat charge the same.

Thanks for all the help everyone... some great sites Anne

Just wanted to update...

I left it a bit to late, with having to catch a flight in a week.. but as I needed to get home quickly for family reasons , I had no choice... trying to get my dogs crate this late has been a problem because of she needed the larger crate and all the stores I tried didnt stock them because of the space they take up,even the website's did not carry it in stock so they couldnt do the 48 hour delivery.

I called Hagen ( the manufacture) directly and had the local rep search the stores and online sites for me... but nobody could get me one delivered before next wed. and that was cutting it a bit close.

The 2nd website suggested by Alex, said if I was willing to drive to Essex that they would have someone drive their last one at the warehouse to their store for me, but to ship now it wouldnt be delivered until wed at the earliest.

So that is my plan, to drive to Essex about 2 hours or so from Hampshire and I will pick it up and get to see a little more of sunny England before I sadly have to leave next week.... Thanks everyone for the quick help.....I may have been stuck without your suggestions ...trying to get one at such short notice has been a nightmare....I had been searching a few days before I thought of posting the question, and Im so glad I did....

Thanks again...Anne

Sorry it didn't work. One of our crates was the extra large size (and it is too big) and that was in stock. Good luck and I hope it goes okay.

Glad I could help. I found Seapets customer service to be great when I accidentally ordered the wrong size and had to return a giant Pet Cargo 900!

Hmmm...maybe it's yours Im getting and that's why it's in stock lol

Maybe mine will be to big for her also Gloveman...atleast with driving to pick it up, I can take her with me and check it out...

Only if they haven't sold any for the last 18 months, lol! I take it yours is a very big dog then? I ordered the 900 for our female black lab., but once it arrived I realised that she'd fit in the 800 size. Oh, and make sure you fit the wheels as the carriers of that size are heavy enough empty, never mind the added weight of the dog!

It doesn't matter as he'll have more room to move around in and you get charged the same by Transat whatever the size of the cage.