When you are volunteering or coordinating an animal rescue transport there are some important tips for you to know while transporting your furry friends.
- Sometimes things don’t go as planned
Transporting pets or rescue animals is something that requires planning. But the best laid plans often do not happen that way. What happens when your transport gets cancelled? What happens if there is an emergency mid-transport? What is the weather like? Any potential for illness or other complications? Having a plan for these situations ahead of time allows you to be ready no matter what.
- Be prepared, not scared
Now that you have a plan, what are you do
ing to prepare for that plan? If you’re doing a rescue relay transport you should have a transport kit with the items that you may need along the way. Be prepared with backup directions or a way to contact someone if you’re not familiar with where you’re headed.
- Objects may shift in flight
On your rescue dog flight did you consider the possibility that your cargo may get up and move? There are many tragic stories about situations where upon takeoff the animals followed their instincts when the plane tilted upwards and moved downhill only to throw off the center of gravity and cause a much bigger problem. Planning ahead by securing your passengers and crates is a good tactic to prevent this in flight situation.
- Bring an extra person on a rescue flight
It’s always important to have an extra person on your animal rescue flight whenever possible. If you’re the pilot in command, you need someone to tend to the passengers needs whether to reassure them, or to secure them should they manage to wrangle themselves free from their seat or enclosure.
- What goes down, will come up
Whatever you feed your animals on a pet transport or rescue relay transport, is likely to come up the way it went down. In other words, unless you are dealing with puppies or specifically instructed by the transport coordinator or a veterinarian it’s generally not advisable to give anything more than fresh water to animals in transit.
- Don’t give your rescue animal any drugs
Unless medically prescribed by a licensed veterinarian, it is not a good idea to give the animals drugs to calm them on a transport. Transport can be stressful times for the animals. They’re in a situation that is not normal and they’re scared and you want to do whatever you can to calm them. But administering drugs can exacerbate the situation and should only be done in specific circumstances and under the care of a veterinarian.
- We’re all in this together
Transporting animals whether for a rescue relay transport or moving your pet across the country can be stressful on you and the animals. But remember that particularly when you are working with volunteer rescue relay transport that we are all volunteers so give people the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has the best intentions and just may need some friendly coaching or guidance. We’re all in this together.
