Federal Law

The Department of Homeland/US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) summarizes the U.S. custom requirements for importation of live animals and animal products at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing/agri_prod_inus.xml.

The CBP website refers individuals interested in importing pets to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website for specific information on import requirements. That website contains an excellent summary of which federal agencies regulate the importation of animals. (Be sure to follow the link for “Pets” under “Import an Animal or Animal Product”.) For further information or clarification on the importation of live animals, you can also call APHIS at (301) 734-3277 or email at: AskNCIE.Products@aphis.usda.gov or VS-Live.Animals_Import.Permits@aphis.usda.gov.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is the primary (but not only) federal agency imposing documentation requirements on the importation of pets into the United States. You can obtain further information on the CDC regulations at http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/ or you can call the CDC at 1-800-232-4636.

Pursuant to CDC regulations, dogs must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry into the United States. These requirements apply equally to service animals. A pet dog is subject to 30 days confinement (i.e., quarantine) if the vaccine was performed fewer than 30 days before arrival. The CDC website does not set forth the required form of the rabies certificate but the CBP publication referred to below states that the rabies certificate must (i) be in English, (ii) identify the animal and the date of administration and expiration of the vaccine, and (iii) be signed by a licensed veterinarian. If you are returning to the U.S. before your dog’s U.S. rabies vaccine expires, your original rabies certificate should suffice. (Note: There is no vaccination regulation for cats.)

The CDC does not require general certificates of health for pets for entry into the United States. However, health certificates may be required for entry into some states, or may be required by airlines (see below).

Notwithstanding the lack of a requirement for a health certificate, pet dogs are subject to inspection at the first U.S. port of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to human. So, perhaps possession of a health certificate could be useful to persuade a customs inspector of the dog’s good health if there is any doubt. If a dog appears to be ill upon initial inspection, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner’s expense might be required at the port of entry. Note: Pursuant to U.S. Customs rules, all travelers entering the United States are required to DECLARE any animals they may be carrying to U.S. Customs agents upon entry. The declaration must cover all animals carried in checked baggage, carry-on luggage, or in a vehicle. It is through this declaration process that I assume the health inspection will be triggered.

In addition to the CDC-required rabies certificate, the following special circumstances may apply to dogs.

1. If the dog is coming from a country where “screwworm” is a known problem (no European country was listed on the APHIS list of known screwworm countries as of January 1, 2012), USDA APHIS regulations state that entry into the United States is possible if they meet the following requirements:
1. The dog must be accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin stating that the dog has been inspected for screwworm within 5 days prior to shipment to the United States.
2. The certificate must state that the dog is either free from screwworm or was found to be infested with screwworm and was held in quarantine and treated until free from screwworm prior to leaving the region.
2. If the pet is coming from a country where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is prevalent, APHIS advises owners to take the following precautions to prevent the introduction of FMD from pets entering the United States:
1. The feet, fur, and bedding of the pets should be free of any excessive dirt or mud.
2. The pet’s bedding should be free of any straw or hay, or other natural bedding.
3. The pet should be bathed as soon as it reaches its final destination.
4. The pet should be kept separate and apart from all livestock for at least 5 days after entry into the United States.
3. Per the APHIS website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also has certain restrictions on the importation of dogs. Collies, shepherds, and other dogs that are imported from any part of the world except Canada, Mexico, and regions of Central America and the West Indies and that are to be used in the handling of livestock must be inspected and quarantined at the port of entry for a sufficient time to determine their freedom from tapeworm.

For additional information in addition to the CBP, CDC and APHIS websites listed in this section, the CBP has issued a useful, albeit poorly cited, publication summarizing various federal regulations applicable to the importation of pets into the United States. The information is consistent with the information contained on the APHIS and CDC websites.

State Law

In addition to compliance with U.S. federal law, you must comply with the relevant import laws of any U.S. state into which you take your animal.

Depending on your route, you may have to comply with multiple state requirements. You should review any published regulations from the relevant state and/or call the State veterinarian’s office to determine the appropriate form of any certificate that may be required.

Be sure to check whether any state you pass through via a connecting flight has an exemption for that purpose (for example, New York has a partial exemption — see below) so you can forego compliance. I’ve summarized a few states below based on my potential routes:

For entry into New York, a health certificate is required and must accompany the dog. In addition, a copy must be mailed to the New York Department of Agriculture prior to the entry of the dog into New York. See the address in the link below. The health certificate shall list (i) the date of examination, (ii) the breed, sex and age of the pet, (iii) the state or country of origin, and (iv) the complete name and address of the consignee and consignor (i.e. owner if the pet is accompanying you). The certificate shall also speak to the health of the animal (see link below for specifics) and must certify that a rabies vaccine has been administered within the previous 12 months. (The latter part makes it unlikely that the dog’s original three-year rabies certificate will work for a return trip through New York if it has been more than one year since vaccination.) The examination supporting the certificate must be within 30 days of entry into New York. Note if New York is not your final destination: Dogs are exempt from the health certificate requirement if they are passing through the State of New York to points beyond provided that the dog is at all times properly restrained and under the immediate control of its owners and is accompanied by evidence of its rabies vaccination. See: http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AI/Part65.pdf

For entry into California, dogs must be healthy to be moved into California. Dogs over four (4) months of age must be accompanied by a current certificate of rabies vaccination. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is recommended, but not required. See: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov//ahfss/Animal_Health/Entry_Requirements.html

For entry into Illinois, the state requires a “Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within 30 days, showing freedom from disease, originate in non-rabies quarantined area, and dogs 16 weeks of age and older vaccinated against rabies. Rabies vaccination to have been administered within the time period published in the current Compendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines prepared by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc.” http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/downloads/il.html

It is my educated guess that any certificate that contains the same information as the United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals (APHIS Form 7001) will likely be sufficient for most/all states that require a health certificate (but possibly not New York due to mention of external parasites in the NY statute that is not set forth on Form 7001). But note that even if one form of health certificate works for all states, it is still important to check each state’s regulations because the dating requirement for the health certificate may differ state to state.

APHIS has a very handy webpage summarizing the various import rules for the individual states and providing direct links to state government websites (which is how I did the research for the three states listed above). However, the APHIS summary is not controlling law and should not be relied on if you want to be careful. Each state’s regulations should be consulted directly for confirmation of all regulations. [There are links to each state's rules at the bottom of the APHIS page Susan references; please also note that in the middle of the page there's a link to "State veterinarian," so you can confirm that you have the most current rules -- and ask any questions you have about them -- for the state(s) on your itinerary.]

Transport Companies

As with the exportation of animals, you must comply with all documentation requirements of the transport company you are using for the importation of your pet into the United States. In many cases, a health certificate will be required.

Susan notes: “For some reason, even though the links are correct and I double checked, typing some of the government links into your internet address bar will deliver an error (seems to be the ones with ‘xml’). If that is the case, go to the main page for the agency and do an appropriate search to find the page (i.e., go to cbp.gov and just type ‘import agriculture products’ into the search box).”

Importing Meat Products

And if all that wasn’t enough, Susan added a very helpful note about importing meat products into the U.S.:

“U.S. Customs prohibits the importation of all meat or meat products into the United States, including dried (as an example, soup containing beef broth is technically forbidden). So it is likely forbidden to import your dog’s food into the U.S. If you need to carry some food with you for the journey, you should probably leave any excess onboard the plane or discard in a trash bin upon arrival. If you forget and are carrying it when you get to customs (after picking up your luggage), you should DECLARE it to the customs agents and it will be confiscated (or possibly cleared if it turns out it is not prohibited). Declaring it will not get you in trouble. But if you don’t declare the dog food, you could be subject to significant fines.”

I am speechless with gratitude — all I can say is thank you, dear lady. Susan is planning a long trip abroad with Henry, her Chihuahua (picture on Friday!), and I sincerely hope she’ll continue to share the results of her ongoing research.

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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What she didn’t send was a picture of Whiskey on Amelia Island, where she’d just spent a week, because she’d gone to the island thinking it wouldn’t be dog-friendly. Here’s her report:

“I just finished spending a week at Amelia Island right on the northeastern tip of Florida. This little island is a beach-lover’s paradise and has some of the most wonderful examples of late 1800’s architecture in the state.

When it was suggested I should visit Amelia Island, I asked about the city’s dog policies and whether it would be possible to bring my Cavalier. The person I spoke with was unfamiliar with whether dogs were allowed on the beaches, in the hotels, or in the local shops on the main street. Because of this, I chose to leave Whiskey with his dog buddy Jack.

After arriving, I headed out to Fernandina Beach and was surprised to see at least three dogs (all on leashes) walking in the surf, catching balls, or sitting next to their owners watching the gulls.

One of Shaye's beach photos from Amelia

It turned out that the island was incredibly dog friendly. Over the course of several days I saw dogs welcomed into shops with treats, dogs taking in the sites on a carriage ride, a cute Bichon eating a late dessert on the patio of a bistro, and countless dogs taking walks in the morning and evening up and down the beach. Each time I drove to the little downtown area it was clear that people loved dogs of all sizes. However, some of the shops with more delicate items (antiques) may ask for the dogs to wait outside. I did take a sunset boat tour and it appears that dogs are allowed at no additional charge.

This little town is charming and all the more beautiful for the way it seems to embrace dog owners.

As for where you can stay with your dogs, the hotel I was at did not accept them. However, I did stop a couple with a Briard about where they were staying. Apparently, some of the small beach cottages—right on the shore—do accept dogs with a reasonable deposit. In their case it was $50.”

My mother-in-law is passionate about Amelia Island, so it’s on our list of places to go. I’d look for the pet-friendly beach cottages Shaye mentioned (here’s an adorable one from vrbo.com), but I’d also be drawn to The Hoyt House, a B&B which accepts pets (though a damage waiver is required) and looks lovely. The sunset cruise I found on-line is run by Amelia River Cruises and is pet-friendly.

Thanks so much for your message, Shaye! I like the idea of you and Whiskey going back to Amelia (and I really like the idea of us going there with Chloe). I should apologize again for my delay in posting your report, but the fact is that a Florida vacation sounds even better now, on a grey day in Seattle, than it did back in October….

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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Reader Marianne faced this situation last fall when she contemplated returning to the U.S. from Ireland with Finn, her Miniature Poodle. They flew on Delta from Dublin to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to Detroit. Here’s her report on how she handled it:

“The day we flew home, I took Finn for an hour-long walk, then he went into his carrier and we drove to the [Dublin] airport. The only ‘hassle’ was going from the check-in desk to the customer service desk to pay the $200 fee. No one looked at him, weighed or measured him. We got through security pretty easily (if I had not left my cell phone in my pocket, we would have gotten thru on the first pass!). As I was putting Finn back in the carrier, security asked me to wait a minute, then one of the officials came over and wanted to know if the airline knew I was bringing a dog! I showed him the receipt, and he sent me on my way.

Then came US Customs and Immigration [Dublin is one of the world's airports where U.S. Customs has a border preclearance facility -- you go through U.S. Customs at the airport, before you board your plane to the U.S.]. I was sent to agricultural inspection to have Finn checked out. They asked to see my paperwork. There was never any info on the US Customs page about paperwork, but I was prepared. I used my computer to make up a form showing Finn’s rabies information, his healthiness to be able to fly, signed by my vet, and a statement that I was the legal owner. I included a photo of Finn on the paperwork.

That seemed to satisfy them, but they took away the little bit of dog food I had, and one bag of treats. I pleaded that I needed treats to keep him happy on the flight, so they let me keep one of the bags if I promised to dispose of it when I got to the US.

I left and got ready to board the plane, without the paperwork — Customs kept it. I was worried about needing it for the Atlanta-Detroit segment, but was never asked for it at any time by anyone other than US Customs.”

I want to highlight a couple of things in Marianne’s message. First is the information she included in the document she created for her vet to sign — my contact at the CDC told me that the document should include a statement that your dog has been vaccinated against rabies (with the particulars of the vaccine used) on X date (which must be at least 30 days prior to re-entry), and it must be signed by a veterinarian. Marianne also had her vet sign a statement about Finn’s general health, and she included a statement of ownership and a photo of Finn. Given the vagueness of some airlines’ requirements for a general health certificate, that kind of thoroughness makes sense — the resulting document will work for both situations you expect to encounter.

My second point was made tacitly by Marianne: Make a couple of copies of your paperwork, so you have extras when and if the customs agent keeps a set. It doesn’t surprise me that Delta didn’t ask for Finn’s paperwork (per the airline’s website, “Delta does not require a health certificate for carried-on or checked pets”), but it is within the realm of the possible that someone else would have demanded it (the entire sentence from Delta’s site reads “While Delta does not require a health certificate for carried-on or checked pets, upon arrival, the certificate may be required by the state”). Indeed, it’s within the realm of the possible that a Delta agent, unfamiliar with his/her airline’s policy, might have asked for documentation.

Thanks so much, Marianne, for sending the details about your trip back to the U.S.! I hope Finn and Cookie, your Standard Poodle, have become friends by now.

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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One lucky Dog Jaunt reader won’t have to worry a bit about its price, because I’m giving away the fully tricked-out hip pack that Tom Bihn sent me. They won’t have to worry about the water bottle problem either, because I stopped in REI and bought an S-biner (size 4), that will let you hook your dog’s water bottle onto your new hip pack. The total value of the package is $100, and here’s what it includes: A Kiwi green Citizen Canine hip pack, the optional waist strap, the optional Guardian Dual Function light (with extra lanyard, in case you want to detach the light from the hip pack and clip it onto something else), the optional Krebs Recycle Leash, a Size 4 S-biner, and an extra roll of compostable poop bags.

Thanks so much to Tom Bihn, which sent me the packet in the full knowledge that I would be giving it away to a reader (it’s Dog Jaunt policy to give away products I receive that are worth more than $40), and made sure that it included all the bells and whistles.

How To Enter

One lucky reader can win. If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment telling me about a dog-friendly restaurant, attraction or hotel before 11:59 PM PST on Monday, February 6, 2012. Please fill in the e-mail field of the comment form (your e-mail address isn’t shared with anyone, and I will not send you e-mail unless you win).

How to Earn More Chances to Win

There are more ways you can get additional entries in this contest. Each takes only a few minutes!

• “Like” Dog Jaunt on Facebook, and leave another comment to tell me that you did. You can do this by clicking on the “Like” button near the top of the sidebar on the left side of this page.
• “+1″ Dog Jaunt on Google+, and come back here to tell me that you did. The +1 button is directly above the Facebook “Like” button, near the top of the sidebar.
• Become a friend of Dog Jaunt by “liking” its Facebook page, then leave a comment and tell me you’ve done so. To reach Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, click on the square blue Facebook icon at the top of the sidebar. I use the Facebook page to share how-tos, tips, news articles, and giveaways. As you’ll see, it has different content from the blog, and there’s a lot of direct contact with, and between, Dog Jaunt readers.
• +1 Dog Jaunt’s Google page, then leave a comment telling me you’ve done so. To reach Dog Jaunt’s Google+ page, click on the square orange Google icon at the top of the sidebar. I’ve just started Dog Jaunt’s Google+ page, and I plan to post the same stuff on there that I do on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page.
• Subscribe to Dog Jaunt’s RSS feed by e-mail, using the button near the top of the sidebar. Leave another comment telling me you did.

Announcing the winner

I will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here and in Dog Jaunt’s Twitter feed on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

Rules

Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post (except as outlined above where the comment is related to an extra entry). Duplicate comments and anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the e-mail address in your comment form is valid (e-mail addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A sweepstakes winner’s failure to respond to the prize notification and provide a shipping address within the specified three business days will be considered such sweepstakes winner’s forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older. Employees, partners and vendors of Dog Jaunt and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that Dog Jaunt reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize.

P.S. If you like this giveaway, and want to share it with your friends, please use one (or more!) of the buttons below.

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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Bombardier Q400 (Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines)

“From Bellingham we boarded a Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane with Sophie in her large SturdiBag. The small seats are four across, in two pairs, and there are about 20 rows to accommodate about 80 passengers. The airplane is very fast, smooth, and quiet, as opposed to many other turboprop planes. The actual airtime between Bellingham and Seattle was 20 minutes, although with boarding taxiing, etc. it took about an hour to get from airport to airport. Fortunately, the under-seat space is completely undivided, so Sophie’s carrier fit sideways with ample room to accommodate our large carry-on backpack, too. I don’t think that the SturdiBag would fit as well lengthwise under the seat even though we took [Dog Jaunt's] advice and cut off the inch of the board underneath.”

Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air/Hawaiian Airlines 737 (-800 series)

“We took the optional upgrade option on this second flight from Seattle to Sacramento because it’s more comfortable for us, and because another reader had noted in a post that there was space between the seats in first-class to accommodate the carrier. There was A LOT of room, as you can see in the picture I included. Her carrier fit lengthwise completely under the seat.

Sophie (along with a new plush squeaky toy and two bully sticks) in her large StudiBag, oriented front-to-back under a First Class seat on an Alaska Airlines 737-800

Again, our little Sophie slept like a proverbial angel throughout the flight. We flew coach for the return flight and her carrier fit just fine beneath the middle seat.”

All of this is good news, especially the part where Sophie snoozed through her flights. Jen and Troy were completely unhappy, however, with what they saw of Alaska Airlines’ cargo service:

“We checked Sophie’s hard-sided small Grreat Choice Pet Carrier filled with her non-essential gear at Bellingham International Airport. We made that choice because it’s what Sophie is used to and we wanted to be able to leave her contained for a few hours from time to time and not worry about her trying to escape her SturdiBag. We noticed a woman checking her German Shepherd in an extra-large hard-sided carrier at the same time. Upon arrival in Sacramento, Alaska had lost both our carrier and the woman’s German Shepherd. It was a long and stressful hour for us and the other passenger before they finally found her dog and our dog carrier.

Sophie’s Grreat Choice Carrier was in perfect condition when we checked it in Bellingham, and it was dramatically broken when they returned it to us in Sacramento.

Sophie is not at all pleased about her broken crate

Since it was still semi-useable and we were in a hurry, we didn’t raise the issue with Alaska, but being so careless as to ruin her carrier was a large mark against them in our book.”

Thank you again, Jen — this time for the under-seat information and for the heads-up about Alaska Airlines’ handling of your luggage and another traveler’s dog. I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements. 

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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The Tom Bihn products we own are beautifully designed and very well made. They wear like iron. They’re also costly, but given their advantages, that’s been a downside I can accept. So it is with the Citizen Canine.

The pack, made of ballistic nylon twill, measures 6.5″ tall, 5.5″ wide, and 3″ deep. I was given my choice, so of course I requested a vibrant lime green (“Kiwi”) twill, lined with a purple check; the pack also comes in black, forest green, gray, navy, and cardinal red.

The top 2/3 of the pack is a compartment with a drawstring top that is primarily meant to hold treats but can hold a ChuckIt! ball (or two of the small ones). Back when we were taking Chloe to obedience classes, the treat pouch would have been welcome — it stays open nicely, so you can quickly reach in, even in mid-walk. These days, the ChuckIt! ball option is more useful. In fact, the opening is wide and deep enough to hold a small H2O4K9 water bottle (the Frog Green bottle matches the Kiwi Canine Citizen, by the way) or a small Gulpy water bottle, but since the bottle might fall out when I bend over, it’s not a perfect option. My preference, as you’ll see, is to hook the water bottle on the side of the Canine Citizen.

The bottom third of the pack holds a roll of poop bags, which dispense via a toothed plastic grommet. Normally, poop bag grommets don’t work because the roll of bags gets wedged inside its compartment. Every other poop bag dispenser I own has to be zipped open so I can unwind the next bag by hand. That’s not tragic, of course, but what joy to find that Tom Bihn’s dispenser actually dispenses poop bags smoothly and reliably. The secret is a center rod that holds the roll of bags like a roll of toilet paper. It works like a charm.

There’s a small pocket above the poop bag grommet; on the other side of the bag, there’s a deeper pocket that will easily hold a cell phone. I hesitate to call either side the front or back, because on the deep-pocket side is a strap onto which you can clip an (optional) Guardian Dual Function light (flashing or steady, depending on how you orient the battery). If I were walking at night, I’d certainly put that side outwards; otherwise, I’d be likely to put the poop bag side outwards for easy access.

The Canine Citizen comes with a shoulder strap. I’m not a fan of shoulder straps, so I was happy to see that Tom Bihn had sent me the optional waist strap, which works well. Please note that it’s devilishly difficult to get the shoulder strap off the hip pack, but it can be done. Whichever option you choose, you’ll end up with a pair of available, unused twill loops (since I’m a waist-strap gal, my unused loops would be the ones on the short sides of the pack). I suggest that you buy a large S-biner (at least a size 4) and pass one end through a loop, allowing you to hook a water bottle onto the other end.

Both kinds of straps have two “leash clips” attached to them, which are sized to hold a(n optional) Krebs Recycle Leash. We have one, it turns out (I’ve long gotten over my concern about trigger-style clips), but Tom Bihn sent me one, and it fits securely in the clips.

The shoulder strap is still attached because I didn't have the energy to take it off for the photo, then put it back on for the lucky winner of the upcoming giveaway. Imagine that it's not there. Please note that I'm wearing the pack with the flashlight (and phone pocket) side facing outwards.

This is a feature I can get behind. When we go to the dog park, I find myself juggling leash, water bottle, ChuckIt! launcher, and at least two ChuckIt! balls — this pack would corral the mess. In fact, the clips are sized to secure a ChuckIt! launcher:

Here I am, demo-ing the shoulder strap option (ignore the waist straps, still attached). You can carry the ChuckIt! launcher on the waist strap too -- it lies horizontally across your butt.

I thoroughly approve of this hip pack. Its only flaw, as far as I’m concerned, is that it doesn’t have a water bottle solution — but I can live with either of my workarounds. At $55 (plus shipping), it is pricey. If you spring for all the add-ons (leash, light, waist strap), you’ll be paying $95 (plus shipping). The workmanship and design are impressive, however, and I know from experience with our other Tom Bihn bags that it will stand up to a heck of a lot of use and abuse.

Giveaway code: FAFNIR

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In the middle of the U.S., RadioIowa reports that because the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has “seen an increase in complaints from renters about dogs and damage to cabins,” the DNR is considering changes in its current policy (until now, there have been “no restrictions on pets in state park cabins”). The possible changes include mandatory cleaning fees, a limit on the number of dog-friendly cabins, limits on the number of visiting dogs, and/or a requirement that dogs be crated in their owner’s absence.

I learned only this past week about the Historic Hotels of America, a group of over 235 “quality hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.” How could I have missed this group? I even belong to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which (hello!) gives me a discount at many of the member hotels. My glee was tempered by the fact that there didn’t seem to be a way to search the collection for dog-friendly hotels. I sent an inquiry, and promptly received a really helpful reply from Executive Director Thierry Roch:

“Our new website launched this past May so we are now developing Phase II, which will include a pet friendly section, complete with listings of our pet friendly hotels and their specific packages/services, for launch later this summer. For now, please access our pet friendly members by typing “pet friendly” into the Search field on our website’s masthead. This will link you to 34 of our members that are pet friendly. (There may be more, but it is up to our members to add this description to their listings.)”

Easy enough — thanks, Thierry, and I look forward to Phase II!

Which brings us to the how-tos of getting from one place to another with your dog. Check out this inspiring post on Something Wagging This Way Comes about the trouble blogger Pamela has had getting her dog Honey to be comfortable in her bike trailer (they’ve gone car-free, and the bike trailer lets — will let — her and Honey travel farther than Honey can walk on her own). It’s not always easy to get a dog accustomed to new piece of equipment — it’s a relief to know that others share your troubles, and to hear about Pamela’s plans: “The wheels are coming off so the trailer has no chance of moving. Every fun thing we do will have something to do with that trailer. And Pam will be very, very patient.”

Elizabeth Seward wrote a post on Gadling about taking a road trip with your dog, and then got so many comments from readers that she posted a second post listing their tips. The original post is pretty straightforward, and I suspect you’ve seen most of the readers’ tips too, but both are worth reading.

One of the issues mentioned in the original post is that some breeds of dogs are banned in certain jurisdictions (e.g., pit bulls in Ontario and Denver). Amy Burkert, part of the Go Pet Friendly team, wrote a post this week for Life With Dogs that will help you research your route if you own a dog that might be subject to one of these bans. The group is bigger than you think: Amy says, “We find the most affected breeds to be the Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans and German Shepherds, but Akitas, American Bulldogs, Chows, Huskies, Mastiffs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Shar-Pei are also targeted,” and that’s not the complete list.

We end up with a delightful post from Montecristo Travels with tips for sailing with your very small dog — there are words of wisdom here too for larger dogs, but the picture of Monte curled up in his hammock (his sling bag, hooked over the hatch handle) filled me with joy.

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She didn’t need the jacket for warmth on that particular day — it’s an effort to keep her coat from becoming a collection of ice balls. What you can’t see are the Pawz rubber booties on her feet. She has more serious booties, also bought to protect her feet from road salt and ice balls, but we keep coming back to the Pawz booties. I think she likes how thin they are, and I like how they stay on her feet — when she wears her booties that have a Velcro strap, I’m always keeping an eye out for a thrown shoe.

I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

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Sacramento International Airport

According to the SMF website, the airport has two pet relief areas: “The Terminal A Pet Relief Area is located immediately behind the Southwest Airlines curbside check-in area. The Central Terminal B Pet Relief Area is located in the grass patio area on the south end of the terminal on the baggage claim level.” Jen and Troy and Sophie found the Terminal B pet relief area:

“Sacramento International Airport has a nice, clean, small pet relief area at the northeast end of Terminal B, just prior the International Arrivals Building. If you look for the Aeromexico sign on the exterior of the International Arrivals building, you will be within 15 feet of it. The downside is that it is bark only.

The official Terminal B pet relief area, just west of the overhead Aeromexico sign

The upside is that directly across the street there is a 5 foot wide, 100 yard long stretch of grass. All you need to do is walk across the crosswalk.

The strip of grass Jen mentioned; the view is from the Terminal B pet relief area, looking southwest across the roadway

Should you desire a larger-diameter, more park-like, and less traffic-dense patch of grass, then between the International Arrivals Building and the Administration Building is the space for you.

The other alternative, just after international departures and before the administration building (just past the white awning)

You do have to leave the building and return through security to access these areas, however the airport is relatively small and seems pretty efficient so as long as you are in Terminal B, or the International Terminal, going for a short walk (5 minutes) to the relief area and/or grass shouldn’t be as daunting as, say, Seattle would be.

I haven’t been to Terminal A, so I can’t speak to any grass there, but if you exit Terminal A and head northwest, you should find the grass just past the Administration Building in a few minutes.”

Bellingham International Airport

“I didn’t take pictures, but the Bellingham International Airport is so small that they are not really needed, even after the airport’s newly completed remodel and expansion (to accommodate more Allegiant Airlines flights and also direct flights to Hawaii on Alaskan Airlines). The airport entrances are on the east side, and baggage claim and car rentals are on the southeast end. Just beyond all of this, on the southeast side of the airport, there is a nice large expanse of grass with a garbage can and dog water bowl. It’s not labeled as a pet relief area, but it’s the obvious spot to take your dog to do their business. The grass is bordered along its length by a covered breezeway, so if it is raining you can stand undercover while your dog sniffs in the grass.

There is no need to worry about walking far to reach the grass — it’s less than a one minute walk to security and all the gates are just past security. You will need to go back through security if Bellingham isn’t your final destination, but that is usually less than a ten minute process, so most flight connections should allow time for you to go out and return.”

Jen attached a Google Maps link to her message, pointing out that if you’re in “satellite” mode, the map shows the grassy area she described. I believe she’s referring to the rectangular lawn, with a fringe of trees, along the airport roadway reached by the crossing “zebra” that looks like a ladder (unlike the other zebras, its side are painted in, like a ladder). That’s the patch of lawn I can see that has a breezeway alongside.

Thank you, Jen, for this report — the details and the pictures are so helpful, as are the alternatives you mentioned (some dogs just don’t like bark!). I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series of reviews of airport pet relief areas. To see others, visit Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

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Jen and Troy, you’ll recall, own a captivating Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Sophie, and the three of them traveled from the Pacific Northwest to Sacramento, for a vacation in the Shenandoah Valley wine country — about 45 minutes east of Sacramento. I’ll put their report about the pet relief areas at the Bellingham and Sacramento airports in a separate post; this one is about their wine country break, and includes a couple of tips about flying with an in-cabin carrier.

California’s Shenandoah Valley wine country

Frankly, it was news to me that there’s a Shenandoah Valley in California. Now I’ve learned that it’s an AVA (“American Viticultural Area”) comprising bits of California’s Amador and El Dorado counties. As Jen points out, it’s a fine day trip from Sacramento, or a destination trip in its own right.

“Sophie had a lovely time in the Shenandoah Valley Wine Country about 45 minutes from Sacramento, California. She enjoyed tromping through the vineyards, exploring the tasting rooms, and eating her kibble lunch by the reflecting pool. We had yummy bistro fare, at award-winning Villa Toscano and Bella Piazza Wineries (full-disclosure: these are owned by people we know well).

Owners Jerry and Erika would love it if you brought your well-behaved, leashed, dogs with you to a wine tasting, barrel release party, or for a relaxing dinner overlooking the vineyards, fountains, and ponds outside at the bistros at Villa Toscano or Bella Piazza. These two wineries and vineyards are completely dog-friendly, as are most of the other fantastic wineries in the valley.

The up-and-coming wineries of Shenedoah Valley are quickly becoming renowned for their outstanding Zinfandels in particular, as well as excellent Pinot Grigios, Syrahs, Barberas and Viogniers, among others. There are 49 wineries and vineyards to explore as a day-trip from Sacramento with your canine companion in this beautiful valley.”

“]

Troy and Sophie on their California trip. I need to find out where they stayed -- how rare to find a place where your pup can join you poolside! (Turns out to be the home of friends, alas for the rest of us!)

Converting a conference ID tag to a dog carrier ID, and easy-access storage for health certificate, etc.

Jen and Troy have a large SturdiBag for Sophie, and it sounds as though this was its maiden voyage. It worked well for them, and being the thoughtful travelers they are, they came up with a couple of suggestions for other travelers. The first takes the idea of carrying a photo of your pup with you and combines it with the ID tag every sensible traveler puts on their bags (including an in-cabin pet carrier):

“I attended a conference recently where they had us wear those name badges that they stick in a plastic sleeve attached with a string or lanyard that you are supposed to wear around your neck. I removed the paper from the plastic sleeve and replaced it with four wallet-sized pictures of Sophie ["showing all her markings (front, each side, and top of her head and body)"]. On the back of the last photo, I put our names, Sophie’s name, and our address and phone number. I positioned that photo upside down so that when the badge was flipped up our information would appear to be right side up. I threaded the string through the plastic holder and tied that with a double bow knot to the what would be the right rear side handle attachment of her SturdiBag since I carry her on my right shoulder. I cut off the dangling string, and voila! I have a tidy, clear, ID badge on her carrier in case either she in her carrier, or just her carrier, somehow got lost.

Sophie in front of her carrier, labeled with its new ID tag

The added benefit of having it visible on the outside of her carrier is that her photos are easy to just point to, or to pull out and show and satisfy anyone who really wants to ‘see the puppy’, which lots of folks, some stewardesses, one pilot, and many kids did request to do — she is just so darned cute. It saved fishing around for my wallet and then having to rifle through that, and made it easier to simply point and show folks, so our little girl could stay calm and stay sleeping as we walked through the airports and flew on the planes.”

I love this idea. I have photos of Chloe on our phone, but just when your phone is supposed to be off is when a seat mate is most likely to ask about your pup. This way, you have photos of her close at hand. Jen got her wallet-sized photos through Costco, by the way.

Jen and Troy’s second tip probably works best for owners of SturdiBag carriers, since the stiff board that stabilizes the bottom of the carrier is zipped into its own compartment below, and separate from, the pet’s area. You may recall that I’ve suggested lining your carrier with a DryFur pad, to deal with mid-flight accidents. Now that Chloe’s relatively grown-up, we no longer include the pads in our plans, but they are terrific for puppies or senior pets (and are probably a good idea if you just don’t know how your dog will handle a travel situation).

“We put the second pad from the [DryFur] 2-pack into the zipper pouch on the bottom of the SturdiBag that contains the hard, stabilizing board. That way, we had a back-up pad in if the first one ended up being used. We also put her health certificate and other Sophie records and information in the same zipper pouch on the bottom, between the extra pad and the hard foam board. We did that so her info couldn’t get separated from her and would be easy to pull out and locate if we needed to show her certificate, which we did need to do on our return flight from Sacramento. It worked beautifully, with no fumbling through bags. I was able to do it with one hand, actually, and didn’t even need to take her off my shoulder.”

Again, I love this idea. Back in the day, I stored Chloe’s back-up DryFur pad on the bottom of her compartment, below the carrier’s bottom pad, which meant that if I’d ever needed it, I would have had to remove not only the soiled pad, but also the carrier’s bottom pad and the back-up pad, which I’d then have to re-insert underneath her, DryFur pad on top. It would have been seriously awkward. Jen and Troy’s solution is neat, and I like the idea, too, of keeping your paperwork in the same compartment as the spare DryFur pad (I tuck mine in the small back pocket of our SturdiBag, but it gets rumpled there, and takes space away from her extra leash, and poop bags, and what not).

Thank you so much, Jen and Troy, for your excellent suggestions (and for your truly remarkable patience!). It is so satisfying to hear of a new solution or approach to a traveling issue — each one makes the next trip that much easier.

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