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.