pet travel Archives - Page 2 of 10

Emotional reunion for couple sailing the Pacific Ocean

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Jetpets

At Jetpets we pride ourselves on being able to transport any animal to any location in the world, so when the captain of the yacht “Sailing Nandji”, Jared Laver contacted us to reunite both himself and his partner, Bonita with their beloved Whippet Marley, we jumped at the chance.

The challenge however was that Jared and his partner were currently sailing around the Solomon Islands on their yacht and Marley was travelling from Australia to meet with them.

While the decision to leave Marley behind in Australia for the first length of their voyage was unavoidable the pair were determined to be reunited with their travel buddy Marley somewhere along the way despite the challenges that this would pose but Bonita said it best when she said, “If you want to travel fast you go alone, If you want to travel far…you go together”.

Initially they had planned to arrange Marley’s travel themselves but after realising how complicated the requirements were, Marley’s veterinarian recommended they contact Jetpets to ensure that the important paperwork was completed correctly by the experts as an incorrect form could lead to a very expensive problem.

“If any of the paperwork was incorrect or if we made one mistake then Marley could be sent straight back”, said Jared Laver.

So Jetpets set to work making all the unique arrangements for importation in to the Solomon Islands as well as the specific vet work that was needed prior to travelling. Our pet travel consultant was made aware of the unique circumstances and was able to communicate with Jared and Bonita via email from their yacht in the Solomon sea, making the entire process possible.

With the pet travel arrangements all made, and triple checked we informed Jared and Bonita when Marley would arrive, and the pair excitedly made their way to the little airport to be reunited with Marley. Although they experienced flight delays the pair were successfully reunited with Marley later that day and little Marley was so happy to see them, wagging his tail so vigorously he was almost drumming inside the pet travel crate.

It’s easy to see the strength of the bond shared between these three world travellers and to be a part of their reunion is just one of the many rewarding reasons we do what we do. Please click through and watch the entire episode on their YouTube channel you won’t regret it, and make sure you have a box of tissues handy, it’s a bit of a tear jerker.

Travelling Abroad With Your Pet? Here is our definitive list of tips you need to know.

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Jetpets

Often pet owners can become discouraged when they realise how much organisation is required to transport their pets overseas, but this needn’t be a road block to your travel plans with your pet. We decided to put together the definitive list of tips for those interested in pet travel to make it easy for you to know what to do and when to do it.

The very moment you decide to travel abroad with your pet…call Jetpets.

Our pet travel consultants will step you through the process of planning your travel. They will also be able to give you an understanding of the time frames involved to prepare your paper work and arrange any veterinary requirements. Most importantly it will allow you to budget for your pets move and provide peace of mind, knowing that your pet is in great care with our team of pet travel experts.

Create a travel itinerary for your pet.

A personalised pet travel itinerary will allow you to track where to be and when. Often when travelling internationally there are multiple flights, pickup times, drop off times, pet accommodation details (if required) and veterinary commitments that you need to be mindful of. Thankfully Jetpets will develop this itinerary for you which will cover everything you need to know in a simple and easy to follow layout.

Workout your veterinary requirements as early as possible

Every pet move is unique, and every country has unique entry requirements. Knowing what these requirements are as early as possible will allow you to make the correct decisions to ensure that you meet these requirements well in advance. The best way to do this is to have our Jetpets veterinarians manage your pets entire vet schedule. Our veterinarians have a wealth of experience and knowledge in pet travel which will ensure that your pets are correctly prepared for their departure from Australia and safe and seamless arrival in your overseas destination.

Travel Crate Familiarisation

Having your pet be comfortable and relaxed in their pet travel crate is important. An easy way to ensure that your pet regards the travel crate as a safe and relaxing space is pet travel crate familiarisation. A Jetpets pet handler can bring the crate to your home weeks before your identified travel date to give your pet time to acclimatise to the new environment. Our travel crate design also allows you to split the crate in half allowing your pet to utilize it as a pet bed which is a great first step in crate training your pet if they haven’t travelled before.

Choose a pet travel service that provides you value for money.

Jetpets provides various complimentary benefits that represent great value for money which includes…

The convenience of our complimentary “front door” pickup by our trained pet handlers.
Pet handler home visit to assist in choosing the correct crate size for your pet, and leave it with you for pet familiarisation.
Our stay dry fleece mat provides an absorbent padded surface to keep your pet dry and comfortable in their travel crate.
Jetpets on staff veterinarians can complete a home visit and health check.
One-night boarding stay prior to travel.

Note that terms and conditions apply.

Rusty The Hitchhiking Terrier Returns Home

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Jetpets

The cheeky hitchhiking terrier, Rusty, who hitched a 1,500-kilometre ride on a truck from his home in Goondiwindi, Queensland, to Snowtown in South Australia has captured the hearts of the nation.

Rusty’s adventure began after he decided to go looking for his family while they were away on a short holiday. Somewhere along the way Rusty decided to stowaway on a truck driven by Paul McDowell and his wife Heather Reid, and when they discovered him they decided to take him with them until they could identify and get in touch with his owners.

After his owner Laura was made aware of Rusty’s incredible journey she put out a call on social media to see if anyone could assist in getting Rusty back home. As the industry leader in pet transport we jumped at the chance to see Rusty reunited with his family and offered to transport him home free of charge.

In order to get the little guy home safely we pulled out all the stops by donating a state of the art pet travel crate complete with a stay dry fleece matt and plenty of room to stretch his legs.

With the arrangements made to get him home the story began to circulate online and soon almost every news station in the country was calling to get the scoop on Rusty, as the well wishes poured in on social media from all over the world.

Rusty’s surrogate family believe Rusty was sent to them to help them get over the grief of recently losing their family dog, who was stuck by a car on New Year Eve but were delighted that Rusty would be reunited with his family once again.

“I will miss him though, he’s been great company for our five-month old French mastiff and a distraction following the loss of our other dog in an accident just days before Rusty turned up”, said Heather.

Rusty’s journey home began with a few cuddles before he boarded his flight from Adelaide to Brisbane after which he enjoyed the comforts of a stopover at our transit lounge to stretch his legs and have a meal before his 4-hour road transport back to Goondiwindi.

“He was very relaxed and quiet the whole way in the air-conditioned van and only started barking when I drove in to the driveway, so he got a bit excited then”, said pet handler Deb Duce.

“It’s really nice to have him back, the kids have missed him and we’re very excited to have him back”, said owner Laura Scudamore.

We were also amazed to discover that this is not the first time little Rusty had gone on a solo trip away from home too. In 2016 Rusty was found in Chinchilla, more than 200 kilometres from Goondiwindi. With a children’s book in the works from his previous adventure the author will have to add a few extra chapters after Rusty’s recent adventure.

In any case if Rusty decides to get itchy feet and contract the travel bug again you can be sure we will be there to get this adventurous dog home safe and sound once again.

Watch Rusty’s Happy Reunion Now.

The Shoe Fits for Little Sprinter

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Jetpets

Sprinter | Horse | International Pet Transport | Hawaii | Pet Movers | Pets International

Little Sprinter is fast becoming a hero in his home state of Hawaii after undertaking his service horse training.

You may remember back in July earlier this year, Jetpets and Pet Express had the pleasure of assisting a special little horse to fly from the windy city of Chicago to the beautiful beaches of Maui in Hawaii.

Little Sprinter’s owner Christine Higgins was so thankful for the wonderful service and care given to her new companion that she reached out to us personally to thank us for our involvement.

“My little guy arrived in wonderful condition. His eyes were bright and he was relaxed and calm. The trip couldn’t have gone any better!”, said Christine.

Pet Express’s Adrienne communicated with Christine throughout the travel process even getting him out of his custom built travel crate and taking him for a walk during his time at our San Francisco transit lounge.

You see Sprinter wasn’t just any miniature horse, Sprinter was purchased by Christine to become a “service horse”. Christine had earlier been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine and joints causing inflammation that can lead to severe and chronic pain. In addition to this Christine was also diagnosed with Lupus, which affects the immune system, forcing the bodies immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue.

These two conditions, combined with other significant ailments, resulted in Christine having to reduce the physical intensity of her day to day life. Christine knew that she would need some assistance to keep mobile and a companion to keep a positive attitude through this considerable life challenge.

Little Sprinter began his service horse training immediately with the aim being that he could provide support to Christine when she travelled to the shops, attended doctors’ appointments and extra stability around the home. Jetpets have kept in close contact with Christine and recently Christine expressed a concern that Little Sprinter was having trouble keeping his balance on the hard wood floors inside her home and asked if it was possible for us to assist.

Jetpets committed to help Christine and Little Sprinter by sponsoring special rubber shoes for Sprinter to wear which would allow him extra grip while indoors and provide better stability to Christine.

Sprinter with his Jetpets sponsored, rubber shoes which enable him to assist Christine indoors.

While Sprinter will no doubt improve the quality of life for Christine’s whole family, Christine wishes to share Sprinters inspirational story with others.

“He loads up in the back of my SUV with a ramp. It is my goal to visit nursing homes and hospitals with Sprinter as a therapy horse. I know he will provide so much joy and so many smiles to people struggling like I am”, said Christine.

While Sprinter has his work cut out for him assisting Christine and her family and his local community, it’s not all work for the miniature horse. Sprinter gets plenty of time to play in the small paddock next to Christine’s house. His playful personality coming through when playing with his favourite toy, a red yoga ball, which he pushes around the paddock, leaning on it until he falls over only to get up and do it all over again.

It’s not all hard work for Sprinter the service horse. Here he is trying on his Halloween outfit.

“He’s quickly becoming my best friend. He’s so sweet and kind. He stays at my side”, said Christine. Although Christine mentioned he also plays up sometimes, “At this point he may be on Santa’s naughty list though!”, she jokes.

Jetpets wishes Christine, the Higgins family and Little Sprinter all the very best as they continue to battle Christine’s conditions. We know Little Sprinter will do a fantastic job of looking after her during the festive season and into the next year.

If you are interested in following Christine and Little Sprinters adventures, you can do so on his Facebook page which by the way is the most adorable animal page we have seen all year.

Jetpets assists in the relocation of Australia’s first breeding pair of Caracal cats

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Jetpets

Recently Jetpets had the pleasure of assisting in the relocation of two Caracals from South Africa to their new home at the Wild Animal Encounter Conservation Centre in Hawkesbury, North of Sydney. The Caracals, Kato and Kaia are the only two Caracals currently on display in Australia and it’s hoped the unrelated pair will breed once they reach maturity in the next 12-18 months.

Global Moves | Jetpets | Pet Movers International | Pet Imports

Picture : NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

The success of the first ever Caracal breeding program in Australia rests in the very capable hands of Wild Animal Encounter’s company director, Ben Britton who you may recognise as the host of Australia’s Nat Geo Wild program.

Ben’s name has become synonymous with exotic wildlife education and throughout his 20-year career Ben has starred in several documentaries and television programs aimed at educating the public on animal behaviour and conservation.

“The Caracals have arrived safe and sound here and both animals are out exploring their new environment…We had a great reaction when they heard their first kookaburra this morning”, said Ben.

Caracal’s are known for their impressive ears which have the signature tufts of dark coloured hair on the points. The ears are manipulated by twenty muscles which enable the cats to locate prey animal sounds with startling accuracy. The Caracal’s paws are also specifically designed for stealth allowing them to get closer to prey animals which gives them a much higher chance of success when hunting birds or and small prey animals.

Wild Animal Encounters is not government funded and they rely heavily on donations and the support of the public to continue their important work promoting conservation. Private tours and animal encounters offer the unique opportunity to meet these amazing creatures while supporting the important work Wild Animal Encounters does.

We wish Kato and Kaia the very best as they explore their new environment and we will endeavour to check in with them in the future to bring you any updates. If you would like to book a tour to meet Kato and Kaia you can do so at www.wildanimalencounters.com.au

Picture : NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

Mark and Mya On the Adventure of a Lifetime

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Jetpets

Mark and May | Pet Travel | Adventure | International Pet Transport

Dynamic adventure duo Mark and Mya are undertaking the adventure of a lifetime trekking through Canada and the United States.

What’s more amazing than travelling the world with your best friend? Travelling the world with your best friend, who also happens to be your dog! That’s exactly what adventure seekers Mark and his white Shepard Mya are doing with the help of Jetpets.

Mark’s love of the outdoors grew from a strong influence from his grandfather at an early age and when Mark received Mya at the age of 8 weeks old they immediately formed an inseparable bond.

Mya quickly became right at home joining Mark on his many outdoors adventures snowboarding, skiing and mountain biking; running alongside Mark as he traversed the unique landscapes of Australia.

As many adventure seekers do, Mark began to look for his next adventure but couldn’t stand the idea of leaving his best friend behind.

“I chose to get her, I chose to make her my family so I’m responsible for her and it wouldn’t be responsible of me to leave her behind”, said Mark.

Mark and Mya in the ski resort town of Whistler, in the province of British Columbia, Canada

Inspired by the likes of Kelly Lund and Loki the wolf dog, Mark wanted to undertake a lengthy trip travelling through Canada and America and share the experience on social media with those who dreamed of one day doing the same.

Mark contacted Jetpets in July with the hope of arranging pet travel for Mya, which we were only too happy to assist with. Mark was delighted to receive his pet travel crate months before he was due to depart, which gave Mya plenty of time to become familiar and comfortable with the crate for her long-distance pet transport.

Mark and Mya even came to visit us here at our Melbourne head office before they left to meet with our staff and finalise some details with his pet travel consultant.

Arriving safe and sound in Vancouver in mid-November, the pair have set off on the first leg of their journey where they will spend the first 3 months traversing some of Canada’s most beautiful snow-capped landscapes.

Mark and Mya visiting with Jetpets staff at our Tullamarine head office in Melbourne

With Mya travelling alongside Mark as he skis and boards his way across the snow, Mya had to be fitted for special doggy snow shoes to ensure she didn’t sink down too far in the heavy snow. While their adventure is only in it’s early stages the dynamic duo is already capturing the imagination of adventure seekers all over the globe, with well wishes pouring in to their social media pages on a daily basis.

Mark and Mya even attracted the attention of the local newspaper with their inspiring story last week, as they continue to inform the public on the benefits of pet travel.

Jetpets would like to wish Mark and Mya the very best as they share the adventure of a lifetime and we will continue to bring you exclusive updates as they continue their amazing journey across Canada’s most picturesque country side.

If you would like to keep up with Mark and Mya’s adventures on social media you can follow their accounts on Facebook here and Instagram here

Holidaying with your pet and need a pet sitter?

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jetpets

When you’re in your own familiar neighborhood, it’s an easy habit to rely on friends or family to mind your pet, or drop your pet at your favorite local boarding kennel.

But what happens when life takes us to new places such as an interstate relocation or a holiday destination that includes your fur-baby. What are your pet sitting options then, when friends or family may not be around the corner and there isn’t a suitable boarding kennel option?

Fortunately, there are more pet care options than ever before for Aussie pet parents, including choosing your own personal sitter through Pawshake.

Pawshake is an online platform connecting pet owners with thousands of local, vetted and insured pet sitters throughout Australia. Pet sitters come from all walks of life including retirees, veterinary nurses, stay-at-home mums and families with kids, but all have one thing in common: an absolute love of dogs, cats and everything in between!

The process is simple: visit the website and pop your suburb into the search bar to browse and contact local sitters. When you hear back from an available sitter, arrange an in-person meet and greet before booking online or via the app. By meeting up first, you can be sure your sitter gets along swimmingly with you and your fur baby.

If you’re lucky enough to be holidaying with your best friend but find yourself organising a day-trip that can’t include your dog, Pawshake can put you in touch with a day-sitter. The solutions are endless, so keep Pawshake in mind for next times you need a helping paw!

Saving Frankie

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jetpets

On the 15th of September this year a dog in extremely poor health wandered in to a yard in Geraldton, WA. The unnamed dog had no identification and was severely malnourished, neglected and injured. The stray dog had a gentle and loving nature, despite her obvious distress, and help was sought out to identify the dog on Facebook.

The dog was too ill to be impounded and required immediate medical attention and nutritional care. The dog remained in veterinary care with Chapman Animal Hospital during her impoundment time but unfortunately nobody came to collect her, so the team at Geraldton Dog Rescue stepped in to try to rehome her.

Geraldton Dog Rescue took the dog to Sanford Veterinary Clinic to complete a health assessment and it was discovered that “Francesca” or Frankie for short, (as named by the attending vet), had a grade five heart murmur. As there was no option for adoption for dogs with significant medical issues, Frankie was placed in palliative care. Despite knowing that Frankie’s time was limited, her capacity to love and be loved was not.

The team at Sandford’s reviewed and discussed Frankie’s case over and over to try to identify every possible diagnosis or cause and build a medical history to send to Murdoch University.

Frankie was reviewed by the team at The Small Animal Hospital at Murdoch University where they discovered something odd. Seeking confirmation of their unusual findings the Murdoch University team contacted the University of Sydney who provided preliminary confirmation that Frankie had an extremely rare heart condition known as Cor Triatriatum Dexter (a condition resulting in extra atrial chambers in the heart).

If Frankie could make it to Sydney by early November, corrective surgery could be performed. With no way to feasibly afford to get Frankie from one side of the country to the other in the required time, Frankie’s carers contacted Tarsha Andrews at Pet Rescue to see if there was anything that could be done to help save poor Frankie’s life.Tarsha then reached out to Pet Rescue’s animal transport partner, Jetpets, to arrange for Frankie’s return trip from Sydney, as she was booked on to Virgin as passenger cargo for her trip to Sydney.

Frankie is now home with her new family and is loving life with a new furry best friend to play with as well as a loving and supporting home to live in.

Frankie’s story is one of triumph over adversity and an example of what can happen when individuals and organisations work together to make a difference for one animal, whom will now go on to make a difference in the lives of everyone she meets.
Frankie’s new family wishes to thank each, and every person and organisation involved in saving Frankie’s life. We couldn’t be prouder to have been involved and we wish Frankie the very best as she continues to brighten the lives of those around her.

How does Quarantine work and what do I need to know?

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Jetpets

In Australia we are lucky to be free of many insidious diseases that affect dogs and cats and Australia’s animals have some of the healthiest conditions in the world. In order to keep Australia’s dogs and cats free from unwanted medical problems Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water resources work hard to protect our animals.

While many may picture quarantine as an unpleasant environment for their pet and a very long stay at that, this common misconception couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The quarantine period is only 10 days for all countries except for travellers from New Zealand, Norfolk and Coco’s Islands (for travellers coming from these countries there are no quarantine requirements). During their entire stay in quarantine, every animal is treated with love and respect. Each dog and cat has their own private room equipped with heating and air conditioning with access to an attached sheltered outdoor run. When a pet needs that little bit of extra time to stretch their legs, there is a large outdoor grassed area for exercise.

Each pet has their own bed and a window overlooking the outdoor exercise yard. The quarantine facility is fitted with internal acoustic panels to absorb noise so that each pet has the opportunity to get some well-earned peace and quiet.

If two dogs or two cats are from the same family, they are permitted to stay together as long as you have a letter of recommendation from your vet that will inform quarantine staff that it is safe for them to be together.

Jetpets provide the full pet travel experience and can handle your pet move from door to door including all quarantine requirements but if you have further questions not answered here feel free to contact a pet travel consultant at Jetpets who can answer any other questions you may have.