Our Pets are not just cargo......

The passengers are ready to fly!

When my husband and I found out we were moving to America from England, we were so excited - yet there was so much to do.  We needed to pack, make arrangements for our travel, for the transportation of our belongings, and most important to us of all, the transportation of our beloved furry children, Oliver and Magic.  This was the part that worried me the most.  People who didn't know us well would say to us, "Have you found a good home for your cats?".  The answer was, of course, YES, with us.  My husband and I are animal lovers and to us, pets are not just pets, they are members of the family.  There was never any doubt in my mind that they were coming with us, the question was, with who, and how?

I contacted a company who in the end were wonderful.  My boys arrived eventually just fine and none the worse for wear (well, there was some meowing and caterwauling involved).  However, there were so many rules and regulations, it really got me worried (it's not too hard to worry me where my boys are concerned anyways, but still).  For instance, what you could put in the carrier, what you couldn't put in the carrier, etc.  Plus there was always that worrying in the back of my mind that something would go horribly wrong.  You hear every year about a poor pet companion's tragic death because he was put in the wrong hold or the wrong part of the plane, or it wasn't pressurized.  How awful for the pet parents, to be so excited at the end of a trip, thinking they have done everything right, and then to have that happen - well, it just doesn't bear thinking about.  I have also seen, from the window of the plane, a pet being loaded into the cargo area.  Let's just say that sometimes, the baggage handlers are not so gentle with them.  They treat them as just that - baggage.  Those of us who cherish our pets know that it they are so much more than that.

Soon these worries may be a thing of the past, thanks to Pet Airways (www.petairways.com).  Pet Airways is a new company born out of an idea from Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder, a couple who had to fly their pet Jack Russell Terrier Zoe in the hold of a normal airplane.  They decided that people's pets deserved better.  Over the last four years they have designed their fleet of five planes (turbo-prop Beech 1900) to accommodate pets and their carriers.  They have taken all the "human furnishings", like seats and overhead bins, out and cleared the way for carriers.  The carriers are secured using a special restraint system designed by Pet Airways.


Sounds great - but for most pet owners, it is the service that comes with the flight that will make all the difference, not to mention the fact that their pet is not in a hold, where temperatures can change rapidly, and it is dark and noisy - so different from the comforts of home.  The service includes pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks.  It also includes a pet attendant on board, checking on pets every 15 minutes to make sure that all animals are comfortable.  After landing, pets will be disembarked, given a potty break, and will be available for pickup at the Pet Lounge.    If you cannot pick your pet up that day, Pet Airways is happy to board your pet at the Paws Lounge overnight.  You can also always track where your pet is using their pet tracker online.

Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities — New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines.    If they are not flying where you wish to fly, you can contact them to see what can be done.  Hopefully, newer cities will be added in the future.  

For some, paying even a little extra is worth it for the peace of mind it brings.  Sometimes, you can drive your pets with you in the car.  But for those times when it just can't be done, it's nice to know there is a wonderful, caring, safe alternative.   I would definitely do it for my boys.  I hate to think of them on their seven hour flight, not being near each other, having it be dark and cold, and not know where they were going and not having any human interaction.  To put my boys on a flight like this would ease so many concerns I have, and I can't be the only one - Pet Airways is fully booked for the next two months.  It's not a surprise really - it's a wonderful, humane concept that is long overdue, and I can only wish them all the success in the world.

Alysa Binder with one very satisfied Pet
Airways customer.

Cell Dogs - A Cell Dog Is My Best Friend

Sometimes, when you are doing something completely non-related, something will pop into your head - something you've seen, a song you know, a movie you saw years ago, but can't remember its name. This happens to me quite often. So as I was wandering around my apartment, doing various boring domestic chores, something popped into my head to make me think. I thought for so long that I had to write about it. What was I thinking of? Cell Dogs.

Now, you might be asking, Cell Dogs? What the heck is that all about? If you know anything about me, you know that I love all animals. I believe that they enrich our lives and make our lives so much more exciting, so much richer than they would have been without them. Cell Dogs epitomizes this to the letter.

Cell Dogs was a program on Animal Planet chronicling a new program for inmates of prisons. This program took dogs from local shelters and animal rescue programs and put them in the hands of a prisoner. Yes, that's right, a prisoner. Many of these prisoners were hardened criminals, in for horrible crimes - murder, fraud, robbery. Although these crimes are serious, there was a criteria that had to be met to be involved in the program. The inmates could not have been in prison for animal abuse or child molestation, among other factors. The "best and brightest" of the prison were chosen to take care of these dogs whose problems were just as varied as the prisoners - some could not be housebroken, some were so shy they could not walk, some just needed to learn basic commands. In all cases, the prisoners were the dogs last hope for adoption. To change these dogs would take a lot of work - and a lot of love.
Love? Love from people who have murdered, robbed, assaulted their fellow human being? How can this be? That, my friends, is the beauty of the program. As you watch, you can see the prisoners transforming along with their dogs. Their face no longer hardened, they realize they are caring for someone else, that someone else is solely dependent on them. They have a purpose. Instead of just sitting in their cells, or lifting weights all day, they have a higher cause. These dogs really mean something to them; they represent life itself. As one prisoner put it, he would never get a chance to leave the prison walls - but he was going to make damn sure that his dog made it out and went to a loving family.

The key to this program, besides the love given and received, is the time the prisoners have. Animal shelters and rescues are so overrun with homeless animals with issues and problems, it's hard to find the staff - and the time - to work with these animals. For the prisoners inside, they have nothing but time. The prisoners are responsible for all aspects of the dogs' care - from grooming and bathing, to brushing their teeth, to the training the dogs receive. You watch these dogs transform, and it really is something to see.

The statistics speak for themselves.  After the program begins, the head of the prison remarks that the relationships between the prisoners drastically improves.  One of the guards says that he hasn't had to break up a fight between prisoners in six months since the dogs arrived.  The prisoners have something to talk about to the guards, and their relationships improve.  Euthanasia in the county dramatically drops as more and more dogs are being adopted out to their forever homes.  One of the most touching parts of the program is when one inmate has to let his dog go, as she is being adopted.  He begins to tear up - but he has no time to grieve.  His next dog is being taken to the prison as he is being filmed. 


A prisoner and his new best friend play fetch.



I know that some of these people have committed heinous crimes.  These programs provide win-win situations.  The prisoners have something to look forward to.  The whole attitude of the prison changes.  The dogs have a chance at a forever home.  Many of these programs are being adopted all over the United States, and the key is that they are working.  I'm not saying that these prisoners should be let back into society.  They need to serve their time.  But what a wonderful way to serve it, and to give back to society a little bit of what they took away.

My hope is that prisons all over the world will adopt these programs.  The healing it provides for all is unbelievable.  I wish that Animal Planet still showed this program; I would definitely be watching.  These animals never judge their keeper, and their keeper never judges them.  It is further proof about how the power of love for an animal can awaken humanity and love in even the hardest of hearts.  As one prisoner said about his dog "She opened us up to our softer sides, and I guess we liked it".  Enough said.

Trainers and their dogs, ready for adoption.  The dogs.
Not the prisoners.  Tee hee.  What a wonderful sight.

For a list of similar programs in your homestate, please check out this link: http://www.coyotecom.com/dogs/prisondogs.html