Leaving island? Pets From Paradise needs your help

And if you are leaving and want to take your pet with you, there are many many travel options nowadays. Don't just give up at the first obstacle!

If you need help with animal transport you can call the St Croix Animal Welfare Center for tips and advice!!! 340 778-1650

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ggod advise

What exactly is involved?

It is super easy...the escort barely has to do a thing.

For Pets from Paradise you send your itinerary to PetsfromParadise@stxawc.org about two weeks before departure. You should also indicate whether you want to carry the pet on, or check in or both! Pets from Paradise then contacts a no-kill shelter at/near your destination (or at one of your layovers if long enough) to see if they have space to accept a Crucian animal. Hopefully the shelter/rescue does! At departure time, you are met at the airport with the animal(s) who are all set to go in their crates/carriers and have all their papers in order. The pets from paradise coordinator (currently Melissa at the shelter) will go through the check-in process with you and pay for the animals ticket. If you are carrying-on the animal, you then go through customs/security as normal. You just have to take the animal out of its carrier for security and carry him through the x-ray machine. If you are checking in, you have to take the dog out of his crate very briefly so customs can look inside.

Then sit back and enjoy the flight!

At your destination, you are met at baggage by the new shelter (always a no-kill shelter) representative who will help you collect the animals from baggage and take them off your hands!

It is a really wonderful program and helps so many island animals find homes! if you can't be an escort you can also sponsor a pets trip to the states by paying for a ticket, donating carriers or just making any donation you can manage.

I flew to the states with someone transporting a pets from paradise dog last week. Someone from the shelter delivered it to the airport in a pet carrier. The woman who took the dog carried it through TSA, and then put it back in the carrier. The flight attendants catered to the woman and the dog the entire trip.
I will definitely take a pet next trip !

I am trying to get my house guests to take pets off island with them when they leave.
What if they have a 4 hour lay over between flights??
So the dog would be traveling about 9-10 hours before arriving at final destination.
Isn't that a bit too long?? Please fill me in!!
Thank you!!

And if you are leaving and want to take your pet with you, there are many many travel options nowadays. Don't just give up at the first obstacle!

If you need help with animal transport you can call the St Croix Animal Welfare Center for tips and advice!!! 340 778-1650

Any tips for getting two 90lbs dogs off the island in August? So far I've only found chartering a private plane as an option.

RobbySTX, animals can endure as much as we can. Although it's a long trip, they will be fine.

The pets from paradise program is a great program. And one you will find very rewarding.

Six months ago, I took Dave, a puppy. The shelter did all the leg work; met me at the airport, coordinated with the airlines, provided a carrier, etc....Puppy had all his shots and was already neutered.

The puppy was small enough to be in a carrier, and I was able to keep him in front of my seat as a carry on. Well behaved, in fact, he didn't bark at all during the flight. Whined a few times, but once I insured him I was there(petted him thru the carrier), he was fine. When we arrived in Miami, we had a 2 hour lay over. I was able to find a spot to walk him and let him stretch out a little, and some water.

Miami to Boston, no problem again. Arrived at Boston late, around midnight. I had agreed to keep puppy for the night and the following day made arrangements to meet the adopting shelter.

Never made the meeting---all the family loved the puppy. My cousin ended up adopting the puppy and months later my cousin's exact words: "....the best dog I have ever had....". Puppy was basically house trained from the beginning and cousins' children's adore him.t

It broke my heart parting with the puppy even knowing the puppy was going to a good home. Few days after she adopted Dave, she brought him to a vet who confirmed the information the shelter documented on Dave, puppy in excellent health.

It was a very rewarding experience and certainly hope to do it many more times.

And of course, Dave was renamed by her kids to Stitch.

I take my dog out during layovers all the time. (Obviously this only works with a carryon animal.) It's particularly easy in Miami. You do have to gauge how long your layover is vs. how busy security is because you have to leave the secure area and go back through security to get back to your gate. However, since most flights leave the VI early in the morning or mid-afternoon, by the time you get to Miami, the early morning rush is over. It's never taken me more than 20-30 minutes to get back through security. The dog walking area is just outside the security check area, near the parking garage, so it's a quick walk. Your dog will appreciate it! You could also try those "puppy pee pads" (not just for puppies). I've never tried them for my dog. I tried newspaper (on the bathroom floor) the first time I flew with her, but she saw right through that trick and wouldn't pee on it! 🙂 I did get lucky enough to have a dog who goes 9-12 hours between pees (even at home, with a dog door), and I know there are some dogs who just can't go that long. For those, you might consider staying overnight in Miami or wherever your layover would be.

An article on flying with pets was published today:
"More Pets Died on Delta Flights in 2011, but Why?" http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/more-pets-died-delta-flights-2011-why-211100693.html
The headline is over-sensational, but the article is informative and interesting.

Also, the subject of flying with pets has been much-discussed on this forum. You can find old threads via the search feature.
For example: https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?4,99254