Stricter Leishmaniasis Testing Pet Import Rules Spreading

Countries worldwide are toughening pet immigration rules to stop diseases from spreading among animals.

“That’s happening because more people are moving around with their fur babies, and stronger rules protect everyone. The latest expansion is testing dogs for leishmaniasis,” said Walter M. Woolf, Air Animal Pet Movers founding veterinarian and CEO.

Dogs entering South Africa, New Zealand and Australia  need a negative leishmaniasis blood test run no more than 60 days before. Uruguay recently added the requirement. Dogs that have the disease cannot go to these countries.

“Leishmania testing labs are also expanding. The test was only available in Europe. Now it's also offered in the United States,” Woolf explained.

Leishmaniasis can kill dogs. They get it when bitten by a specific type of sandfly. Infected dogs cannot give leishmaniasis to people, but they can pass it to other animals. Symptoms may include skin problems, bloody nose, weight loss, seizures, fur loss, swollen glands, kidney failure, and swollen joints. Dogs with leishmaniasis should see their local veterinarians for treatment and not travel.

Some cases of leishmaniasis have been found in the United States in imported foxhounds and working dogs coming back from Bangladesh, Brazil, India, and Sudan. These places have the most serious cases. People have also gotten skin problems from leishmaniasis after visiting the Eastern U.S. seaboard.

The best way for dogs and people to stay safe is by using bug sprays with DEET to keep sandflies away. Vaccines for dogs are available but they are not highly effective.

REFERENCE: “Hunters hounded as leishmaniasis is diagnosed in Foxhounds.” American Veterinary Medical Association, June 15, 2000.

Lexi moved to South Africa with her best bud, Tequilla.

Pet Move Delay Advice

We’ve got four steps to share with pet parents who experience a pet move delay or flight cancellation.

We’ve all seen videos of luggage and travelers piled up in airports because of: 

• Scheduling glitches.
• Severe weather.
• Labor shortages. 
• Mechanical failures. 

Pet moves are also delayed by:

• Temperature. Temperature regulations assure pet safety. Anything below 45 or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 27 degrees Celsius) at origin, all transit points and the destination cause cancellations. 
• Space. When there are too many animals booked, airlines cancel or reschedule pet flights. It’s similar to bumping people from overbooked flights.
• Destination limits. Pet import departments at popular destinations are fully booked during much of the year. 

When people on airplanes are delayed or cancelled, so are pets. Sometimes even more so because there is less space for pets.

If your pet move manager tells you your pet move is delayed or the flight canceled:

• Prepare to adapt to a new itinerary, airline change or new pick-up and arrival arrangements.
• Understand that a supplemental health certificate or a new international health certificate may be required if the move is delayed beyond the original health certificate expiration.
• Watch your email or overnight mail for updated pet export and import papers if needed. Put them in your carry-on. 
• Follow all instructions prepared by your pet move manager.

“At Air Animal we’re really good at what we do. We know all the airline regulations for pets. We know all the pet import rules for countries around the world. But we can’t control the weather, and we don’t fly the planes,” says Walter M. Woolf, owner and founding veterinarian of Air Animal Pet Movers. “If a pet move is delayed or flights canceled, we work hard implementing Plan B, C or D.”

Air Animal has helped more than 50,000 families move their 110,000 furry, feathered and scaly pets around the globe since 1977. Air Animal is an appointed and endorsed IATA air cargo sales agency working with all airlines that move animals. They are an Indirect Air Carrier cleared by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration for tendering live animals to airlines.

Benny relocated from Sao Paulo, Brazil to St. Paul, MN

Weather Delays Happen

Weather Delays Happen—Even for Pets—Tips to Weather the Storms.  2023 has been peppered with weather-related airline delays so far. Pet parents traveling with their pets in the passenger cabin and pets relocating to their new homes in temperature-controlled air cargo areas can be delayed by weather.

“Generally, pets under 22 pounds (10 kgs.) may travel in the passenger cabin. Larger pets travel in air cargo,” advised Walter M. Woolf, VMD, founder and CEO of Air Animal Pet Movers. “Many U.S. and international airlines only accept pets for air cargo transport when air temperatures are between 45 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (7 to 27 degrees Celsius) at origin, all transit points and the destination. These regulations assure pet safety.”

As a result, airlines cancel flights when temperatures along the route are below or above this window. If that happens. Air Animal’s team works with their clients and the airlines to re-book flights. As with delayed flights for people, out-of-pocket expenses may be required.”

Blizzards, cold snaps, storms and heat waves can cause havoc with carefully planned and anticipated pet moves. “We do all we can to plan ahead, but piloting the planes and controlling the weather are beyond our service package.”

Weather Delay Tips

Passenger Cabin

• When traveling with a pet in the passenger cabin, reduce food intake the day before travel.
• Bring along a collapsible water bowl and a small bag of the pet’s favorite treats along with a leash.
• Offer water often between flights and treats sparingly to avoid messes in the flight kennel.
• Research locations for all Service Animal Relief Areas in each airport along the route.

Air Cargo

• For pets traveling air cargo, reduce food intake the day before travel.
• Freeze water in the flight kennel bowls and add them to the kennel at air cargo.
• Add a T-shirt used by the pet’s favorite person or small comfort blanket to the kennel.
• Add cut up newsprint or newspapers to pad the kennel and help absorb accidents.
• Pack a small bag of the pet’s favorite treats in the human’s carry-on to treat the pet for entering the kennel and to say hi at the destination.

Pets and flight kennels are not always clean when they arrive after long flights or weather delays. A quick, pre-planned trip to a local groomer is a good idea for longer post-flight car trips. We have more quick links for pet parents moving or traveling with their pets for the first time.

Pet Moving Made Easy® is our passion, our focus and our promise to you. Our pet move managers know the drill, the routine and use their experience to de-stress thousands of pet moves every year.

Dr. Woolf tenders a weimaraner at Tampa International Airport.

Know Before You Go...and Return

If you’re traveling or relocating with your pet you may feel you’ve got that down. But, do you know what you have to do to return to the U.S. with your pet? 

The United States Department of Agriculture policy is:

• Before leaving, pet parents must make sure their pets meet the requirements of the destination country and the United States if returning.
• Failure to meet the requirements may cause the pet to be refused entry.
• Health certificates must be legible, accurate, and complete.
• Taking a pet bird or exotic animal out of the United States may involve multiple agencies. You must meet ALL requirements for each agency before traveling or returning with a pet bird or exotic animal. 

Airlines establish their own policies for transporting pets. Check with your airline or shipping representative to determine their requirements.

For example, many countries only accept appropriately vaccinated, treated and certified dogs and cats. Many don’t accept rabbits from the United States because of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Virus.

Dogs originating from South Africa can only re-enter South Africa if the dog passed specific certified blood tests before leaving the country. Dogs originating from Australia can easily return from the United States if they were microchipped, vaccinated for rabies and passed a rabies antibody test before they left Australia. Those steps can waive the six-month Australian waiting period.

Birds are especially difficult to relocate because bird flu is spreading around the world. Because bird flu is very contagious, many airlines, countries and pet shippers do not accept birds. The USDA is working with other countries around the world to contain the spread. This is difficult because bird flu is largely spread by wild bird migration.

Before traveling or relocating with your pet, check our resource menu for your destination and complete our online request form. We’ll help you know before you go and make a plan.

Winston Churchill moved from Tennessee to the UK

Leptospirosis Danger for Traveling Dogs

Vaccinate Before You Go Overseas--Leptospirosis is emerging around the world. If your dog is infected it can cause kidney damage, liver failure and even death. Prevention is easy, according to Walter M. Woolf, VMD, veterinarian founder of Air Animal Pet Movers. Vaccination with a booster 14 days later prevents Leptospirosis and protects dogs for 12 months.

“Before traveling overseas with a dog, pet parents should direct their veterinarian to give the leptospirosis vaccine,” said Woolf. “This vaccination is really important for traveling dogs moving offshore. It’s not an emerging disease in the United States. That’s why some veterinarians will tell you that the jab is not needed.

“You don’t want to go overseas with your precious pet and have them become sick because they’ve walked in the woods, splashed in puddles or chased a squirrel through brush. If your veterinarian is reluctant, show them the links to the American Veterinary Medical Association leptospirosis information below,” Woolf said.

Air Animal Pet Movers has helped thousands of families relocate with their pets. They’ve also provided pet health certificates for thousands traveling with their small pets in the passenger cabin.

Leptospira organisms occur anywhere. They are more common in wooded areas and locales with warm climates and high annual rainfalls. Leptospirosis is rare in people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control advises reducing potential exposure by:

• Avoiding swimming or wading in water that might be contaminated with animal urine.
• Wearing protective footwear when walking through the woods or near contaminated water and soil.

The American Veterinary Medical Association offers more information in English  and Spanish .

Special note: If you live in an area inside the U.S. that has experienced flooding, you should vaccinate your dog for leptospirosis.

While traveling with you pets, keep them safe from Leptospirosis by getting them vaccinated before you go.

Pet Health Certificates

Before you move or travel with your pet, you'll need a pet health certificate. 

Air Animal offers international pet health certificate services for:

• Pet parents traveling overseas "above the wing" in the passenger cabin with their small pet when permitted by the destination and airline.
• Pets traveling air cargo booked by their pet parent.
• Airline and cruise passengers traveling with trained service animals.
• Veterinary appointment required.

Air Animal offers domestic health certificate services for:

• Pet parents traveling from Tampa Bay and Central Florida to the Continental U.S., Alaska, Canada, Cuba, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands as air cargo. We also work with those traveling with their pet "above the wing" in the passenger cabin and aboard private boats.
• We assist airline and cruise passengers traveling with trained service animals as well.
• Veterinary appointment at Air Animal Tampa offices required.

Learn more

Puerto Rico Pet Import Rule Changes

Puerto Rico changed several significant pet import rules effective May 1, 2023.

Review the new rules carefully. They affect all dogs and cats entering the territory. 

Different regulations apply to birds, exotic pets and all pets from other countries.

Dogs and cats that do not meet the regulations will be returned to the U.S. at the pet parents' expense.

Australia Changes Pet Entry Rules

Relocating to Australia for work or returning home from an American assignment just got tougher, advises Air Animal Pet Movers. “Plan ahead at least seven months because the new pet identity declarations have expanded the timeline,” said Walter M. Woolf, VMD, Air Animal CEO and founding veterinarian.

The new rules effective immediately require two pet identity declarations by two different U.S. Department of Agriculture-accredited veterinarians. Those declarations have to be sent to the USDA electronically. Then the USDA provides the pet identity declaration certificate. “Not all veterinarians are USDA-accredited. Setting up two veterinary appointments for a pet at the start of the process can be tough without guidance from the pet’s regular veterinarian or an experienced pet shipper.

“We’ve updated our Australia Resource page at airanimal.com to help people understand the 18 steps and how the process has to proceed,” Woolf said.

From the Air Animal Australia Resource page

1. Microchip the pet (if not previously microchipped).
2. Verify the rabies vaccinations.
3. Arrange two required identity pet examination/declarations by two different USDA-accredited veterinarians and obtain an identity declaration certificate.
4. Schedule a FAVN-OIE Rabies Antibody blood draw by a USDA-accredited veterinarian.
5. Schedule antigen tests for Leishmania, Brucella Canis and Leptospirosis (dogs only).
6. Submit the blood serums to an approved government laboratory.
7. Arrange for a USDA RNATT declaration by a USDA-accredited veterinarian.
8. Fulfill the requirements of the 180-day waiting period that follows step #7.
9. Secure a DAFF import permit which can take more than four months.
10. Book quarantine space in Melbourne, Australia. Pets that complete all Australian identity check steps, and pet parents who can prove their pets originated in Australia, are eligible for 10 days quarantine. All others will spend 30 days in quarantine.
11. Arrange for the approved external and internal parasite treatments.
12. Arrange a veterinary exam to apply for an international pet health certificate.
13. Obtain USDA endorsement and all Australian health documents.
14. Book a USA cross-country flight (if necessary).
15. Book Los Angeles transfer (if necessary).
16. Schedule the trans-Pacific flight.
17. Obtain an airline air cargo air waybill and check pet in for the international flight.
18. Pick up pet after quarantine or arrange for pick-up and residential delivery by an experienced pet transporter.

“Pet parents should always register with a local veterinarian in their new locale to keep their pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date. Veterinarians typically send reminder notices when vaccinations are due. If another move is in their future, they will be ready,” Woolf added.

Air Animal helped Mario, a corgi, relocate with his family from Florida to Australia.

Air Animal Recommends Canine Flu Vaccine Before Relocation, Travel or Dog Groomer Visits

A canine influenza outbreak is spreading across the southern  U.S.—Tennessee, Texas. South Carolina, Alabama and elsewhere. It can quickly spread around the world because more people now travel and relocate with their pets. Air Animal urges all dog parents to vaccinate their dogs against canine influenza before relocating, traveling or any visit outside the home.

“People take their dogs with them everywhere today,” warns Walter M. Woolf, VMD, founding veterinarian and CEO at Air Animal Pet Movers. “Going to the dog park, the veterinarian, the dog groomer or doggie daycare can expose your precious fur baby to canine influenza. Flu in dogs is potentially dangerous and very contagious. It does not currently pose a risk for people.”

Like flu in humans, canine influenza is spread through aerosols and respiratory droplets.

"Dog flu is easily prevented by vaccinating your dog with two doses of the canine flu vaccine,” Woolf explained. “Ask your veterinarian about the vaccine. The first shot provides partial immunity. The second shot given about two weeks later is a booster which gives stronger protection."

There are two types of canine influenza vaccines. Ask your veterinarian which she recommends.

• Zoetis – Vanguard CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 3 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 7 days after the second shot.
• Merck – Nobivac CIV H3N2/H3N8 – 2 vaccinations, 2 weeks apart. Considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second shot.

For people relocating overseas with their dogs, New Zealand, Australia and other countries now require dog flu vaccination, according to Woolf. These countries usually accept a recent booster shot if the documents show full previous immunization and the booster administration date.

Dogs that come down with the flu develop fevers and coughs that last one to three weeks. Dog parents may notice decreased appetite, lethargy and a greenish discharge from the nose and eyes. Some dogs develop higher fevers and pneumonia. Severe dog flu cases cause death.

For people traveling or taking their dogs anywhere outside the home--especially to an overseas destination—canine flue vaccination is an ounce of prevention that really is better than a pound of cure.

Learn more about country requirements for importing pets by using the resource menu at airanimal.com.

Dogs are really social animals. They experience much of their world through their noses. Dog flu is passed by aerosols in the air from infected dogs—that why it is extremely contagious and potentially dangerous to your precious pup. Stop dog flu by getting your fur baby vaccinated.

Australia Considering Rules Changes, UK & EU Update Rabies Rules

Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union are popular relocation destinations. All have made or are considering significant pet import rule changes.

Australia is considering increasing it's 10-day pet quarantine to 30 days. They may also require 180-day minimum residency in the origin country. Both changes will goes into effect in 2023 if approved.

The UK and EU have both updated their rabies vaccination policies. To enter with a pet you must show proof of a current rabies vaccination:

• The first vaccination after microchipping or any lapse in coverage is a “primary” vaccination and only valid for one year under the new rules--even if the pet received a three-year vaccine.
• If the primary lapses—even by one day--you must start over.
• If your pet receives its booster before the primary lapses, it is valid for one to three years depending on the vaccine manufacturer’s instructions.
• Pet parents are required to prove there was no lapse in rabies vaccination coverage since the primary vaccination.

Want to simplify your paperwork?

Air Animal clients can keep track of vaccination certificates by uploading them to their Air Animal Pet Portal accounts.

Or you might ask your veterinarian to scan your pet’s microchip and give your pet a one-year rabies vaccination at least 21 days but less than one year before your UK travel date. That way, no matter the rabies vaccination history, you only have to keep up with one vaccination certificate instead of several.

After you move:

Please register with a local veterinarian to keep your pet's rabies vaccination up to date. Veterinarians typically send reminder notices when vaccinations are due. If another move is in your future, you and your pet will be ready.

Tropical Storm Closure

 (Tampa and Orlando, FL--Nov. 9, 2022) Tropical storm Nicole is working her way across Freeport, Bahamas toward the East Coast of Florida. Officials in Orlando and Tampa have issued storm warnings. Air Animal's offices in Tampa and Orlando closed today at 3:30 p.m. to allow our team time to safely reach their homes. We will reopen at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11--Veteran's Day here in the USA.

If you have a pet move in progress and need to reach your pet move manager, please use the mobile number provided in your move documents. As long as we have cell service and electricity we will be able to assist you.

We don't fly the planes. We don't control the weather. We DO find ways around the challenges.

Your Air Animal Team

Aero: New Guide Dog on the Job

Chris Adams was born with congenital cataracts that led to glaucoma, scarring, corneal transplants and retinal issues beginning in her early 20s. For the past two decades, her vision went steadily downhill, and how on the “good days,” she can only see a little in her right eye. She had gone back to college to get a degree in elementary education so she could teach, but her eyesight became too limited and that didn’t seem possible. Nevertheless, she lived alone and felt mostly independent, except for one issue—she hated using a white cane.

That led to the decision to get her first guide dog, Liberty. With Liberty, Chris was able to run errands by herself and felt less reliant on her mother to be a sighted guide. After Liberty retired two years ago and went to Maine to live with Chris’s daughter, she found it difficult to live without a guide dog.

Now Chris is paired with a lovely new guide dog names Aero. “I am me again!” she says enthusiastically. “I’m not off on the sidelines of life anymore.” A wonderful companion, Aero is well-behaved, smart, and “a total snuggle bunny.” Like her handler, she loves to interact with people. Chris looks forward to their travels together and says happily, “We’re getting ready to get out there and be part of the world.”

Aero is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Air Animal Pet Movers who have helped 50,000 families and counting relocate their pets since 1977, most of which are on board commercial airlines. Naming this future superhero Aero aligns perfectly with their business.

© Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc., 2020. All right reserved. Used with permission.

Chris Adams & Aero

Rescuing Peppi and Mom After Hurricane Ian

A man called Air Animal on Oct. 1 the day after Hurricane Ian tore through southwest Florida. He said he used Google to find help for his mother and her pet. Could we help his mother and her Yorkie board a flight to his home in Maryland the following day?

Karin lost her Ft. Myers home, her new car and everything to Hurricane Ian’s storm surge. She and her six-year-old Yorkie, Peppi, survived. They were found by local law enforcement wandering the streets seeking assistance after the storm. Getting Peppi on the airplane with Karin would take some doing. Peppi’s health records were destroyed when the veterinary practice washed away.

Melissa Salazar, one of Air Animal’s dedicated pet move managers, accepted the challenge. “When I got the call, I just knew we had to help her and Peppi,” she said. 

Melissa scheduled Peppi for a Saturday morning pet health certificate appointment at Air Animal’s Tampa office. Peppi received a new rabies vaccination and interstate health certificate along with a soft-sided travel carrier. All of Air Animal’s services were provided free of charge.

Karin and Peppi boarded their flight on time reuniting her with her son.

Ft. Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian

Air Animal Offices Closed During Hurricane Ian Emergency

Our Tampa and Orlando offices are closed so our dedicated staff shelter safely during the hurricane. We expect to reopen on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 providing the storm surge recedes and utilities are operating.

Meanwhile, if you are relocating with your pet, please use our online request form (https://www.airanimal.com/proposal.cfm) to tell us more about your move. We will work through requests in order when our offices re-open.

Holiday Pet Travel—a Dog and Cat Advisory

If you are searching for pet travel options in North, Central and South America or the Caribbean, this article is for you. 

1. You are responsible for booking your own and your pet’s travel with your chosen airline for holiday, leisure travel and vacations. 
2. Before you purchase a non-refundable airline ticket or cruise, carefully research the destination entry requirements for your pet. Pet entry is controlled by the destination country regulations and customs officials. 
3. Pet parents who wish to use Air Animal's international pet health certificate service for pet immigration documents should request the service at least 21 days before departure using our online request form to allow for processing and scheduling a veterinary exam for the pet.
4. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has suspended dog import and travel from countries with a high risk of rabies. That includes many countries in South America. The process to return to the U.S. from any of these countries with a pet is difficult and extensive. Our blog about the CDC Dog Import Suspension has links you should read thoroughly before traveling with your pet.
5. Required pet travel health documents vary between airlines and from one destination to another. For example, Hawaii’s protocol requires a rabies antibody test before entry and no quarantine.
6. Before purchasing a non-refundable passenger ticket for leisure travel, use our list below. Find the airline with the pet travel and acceptance policy that allows you to take your pet as “cabin baggage” in the passenger compartment. Every passenger airline defines the number of pets eligible to fly as cabin baggage, their weight and size, and the permitted breeds and species. You’ll also find that airline passenger cabin policies differ—especially when it comes to the number of pets allowed in the passenger compartment.
7. This pet travel scenario includes families in the USA who take their pets with them to visit relatives overseas for special life events, weddings, graduations and religious holidays. The common requirements for international pet leisure travel are:

• An implanted microchip for pet verification
• A rabies vaccination at least 30 days old but not more than one year old
• An international health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and validated by the USDA within 10 days of flight. Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico do not require USDA endorsement for entry 
• Please note: Pets must have a microchip implanted before rabies vaccination when destinations require rabies vaccination documents. If your pet is not microchipped, the veterinarian can insert an International Standards Organization-compatible microchip appropriate for your destination and re-vaccinate the pet.

If you are relocating for job opportunities, career advancement, military PCS or returning to your home county, Air Animal is at your service. Thanks for your time and be safe out there!

We believe in Pet Moving Made Easy®. It’s our focus, our passion and our promise.

Click the table or this link to print or download basic airline pet travel requirements and airline contact information

(c) Copyright, Air Animal Inc., 2022 All rights reserved.

Phones Down 8/17

(Aug. 17-18, 2022)--A major Frontier Communications cable was cut yesterday knocking out service to Air Animal and the entire Tampa Westshore area along with sections of Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Frontier expects the break to be repaired sometime on Aug. 18. We are sorry for any inconvenience this unexpected event may cause. Thank you for your understanding.

We will update this post when we have phone service.

• For clients with a move in progress, please consult your documents and contact your pet move manager using the cell phone or email listed.
• For clients with a future pet move, please contact your pet move manager by email.
• To contact Air Animal about a proposed pet move, please use https://airanimal.com/proposal.cfm.

Quick Links for First Time Pet Move Parents

First time moving across the United States or overseas with a pet? Air Animal Pet Movers offers resources to help move furry, scaly or feathered best friends to their new homes. Moving a pet is filled with rules, government regulations, strict timelines and paperwork. Trying a do-it-yourself pet move can increase stress and delay a pet’s relocation.

24/7 online information

This is an extensive website with a YouTube video catalogue. Pet parents can quickly find the most up-to-date information for their pet moves. The resource pages include the most frequent move destinations. Pet relocation rules and regulations change frequently and with little notice. That’s why the website and catalogue are updated frequently.

Never moved a pet before? 

• Pet Moving Basics 
• FAQ 
• Service levels 
• Banned breeds & weather embargoes

Moving across the U.S., Canada, Hawaii or the Caribbean with a pet smaller than 20 pounds that will fit in a soft-side pet carrier under an airplane seat? 

This resource page provides airline phone numbers and information. 

Moving across the U.S., Canada, Hawaii or the Caribbean with a pet larger than 20 pounds? 

This page includes average bundled pricing and planning timelines for the most popular destinations. 

Moving your pet from the U.S. overseas?

This page includes average bundled pricing and planning timelines for the most popular destinations. 

Gather your pet’s health information for any move

• Microchip manufacturer and number
• Rabies vaccination records including two most recent vaccinations
• Pet age and weight
• Pet breed or crossbreed

We believe in Pet Moving Made Easy®. It’s our focus, our passion and our promise.

Carter, a Weimaraner, relocated from Los Angeles, CA to Auckland, New Zealand with Air Animal Pet Movers.

Pedal Power to End Polio Sponsored by Air Animal

Rotarian,Thrill-Seeker Completes Fourth Solo Cross-Country Bicycle Trek to End Polio. More than 10,000 miles to End Polio Now sponsored by Air Animal Pet Movers

 

Nick Hall heading to the water for the traditional tire dip in San Diego

Nick Hall, a 74-year-old Rotarian, retired psychoneuroimmunologist and motivational speaker, finished his fourth cross-country bicycle trip dipping his bicycle tire in the Pacific at Oceanside, CA yesterday. The Seattle to San Diego route along the Pacific Coast Highway and US 101 "boxed in the U.S." along the West Coast. Hall rode solo without a support van and was sponsored by Air Animal Pet Movers.

 

Hall’s rides have all raised funds for Rotary International’s efforts to end polio in the world. He’s been a self-described thrill seeker since childhood. In the 1960s, Hall wrestled alligators as a summer job in Black Hills, SD before pedaling his bicycle to Massachusetts for the fall semester.

 

Nick’s 2015 Pedal Power to End Polio Now excursion began in San Diego and ended in St. Augustine, FL. In 2018 Hall rode from Temple Terrace, FL to the Rotary International Convention in Toronto, Canada. The Seattle to Tampa ride in 2020 challenged Hall with mountain ranges and COVID shutdowns. Can you imagine pedaling all day in summer heat and finding restaurants, gas stations and parks closed? Together, the trips raised $50,400 to end polio.

 

"My goal this year is to get as many $10K donations as possible from individuals and Rotary clubs marking the fact that this trip will put me over the 10,000 mile mark since that first ride in 2015," Hall said.

 

Air Animal Pet Movers, owned by fellow Rotarian Walter M. Woolf, VMD, is the ride's major sponsor. “Nick’s tenacity and physical capabilities amaze and entertain at the same time as he’s helping Rotary reach our goal of a polio-free world. The world beat smallpox. We can win against polio by working together—especially with the worldwide COVID endemic,” Woolf said.

 

The lead $10,000 donation came from Thomas Dempsey and Alexis Dempsey Doyle. “Dr. Nick Hall inspires us all to push to our greatest and furthest extent! His commitment to ending polio now inspires our donation,” said Alexis. All donations to the ride through the 501(C)3 Rotary District 6890 Foundation will be sent to the Rotary International Foundation Polio Plus campaign.

 

The global pandemic shut down polio vaccination programs allowing wild polio virus to spread. From a low of 22 cases two countries in 2017 to 140 cases in 2020. Hall believes ending polio is within reach for all humankind. He vividly remembers polio epidemics of his youth when public pools were closed to prevent spreading the virus.

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Resources

 

·         Why ending polio around the world now safeguards health for everyone. It’s even critical for people in the United States where polio was eradicated years ago—until this year. Read “What the Polio Case in New York Tells Us About the End of Polio” by Arthur Allen, Kaiser Health News, July 29, 2022.

·         Nick Hall’s adventure cycling golden rules: be safe, have fun, do what you love, and support what’s important.

·         Review Nick's ride:

a.    Facebook: PedalPowerToEndPolio

b.    Instagram: PedalPowerEndPolioNow

c.    Twitter: @PedalPwrFL

·         DONATE to help Rotary International bring an end to polio. Every donation will be matched by the Gates Foundation. We’re this close.

OR

 https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WYTCU6YEJVWRQ

Summer Too Hot for Pets to Safely Fly Air Cargo

An historic and deadly heat wave is scorching much of the U.S., Canada and Europe, according to The Washington Post. On July 20, 2022 passenger airlines in North America, Europe and the Middle East have all stopped booking pets to fly air cargo.

"It's simply too hot in the Northern Hemisphere for pets to safely fly air cargo until the temperatures are below 85 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) at origin, midpoint and destination airports," said Dr. Walter Woolf, Air Animal's founding veterinarian and CEO. "Air carriers want your pets to travel safely and securely. While humans working on an airport tarmac sweat, dogs and cats do not so they can't cool themselves easily in this beastly heat blanketing the Northern Hemisphere this summer."

Each carrier halting pet air cargo travel sets their own date to renew pet transport. Please go to the airline website to learn more about the date they expect to resume taking pets. At this time, we know the following carriers have temporarily stopped pet transport. 

• Air Canada
• Lufthansa
• SwissAir
• Air France/KLM

Air Animal will update this list as information becomes available.

These embargos DO NOT affect small pets traveling in soft-side carriers inside the passenger cabin as cabin baggage when permitted by the airline and the destination country. 

Please check our Resources pages for your destination country to learn more. We also have more information about temperature embargoes and banned breeds at airanimal.com/pet-moving-banned-breeds-weather-embargo.cfm.

Europe's Deadly Heat Wave
The Washington Post

Air Animal Closed Memorial Day Holiday

To allow our team to enjoy the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend with their families, Air Animal will be closed beginning Friday, May 27 and reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.  Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.