Airport Terminal for animals

[Catherine]

This is different, it seems a company on Yew York has open a special airport terminal to handle animals being shipped. They plan to handle all kinds of animals from pets to exotics and even farm animals.
Usually animals being shipped get treated like difficult baggage.
This place will try to meet their needs as they travel.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-bu...59397.html

I bet they have a better time than most human passengers these days.

[Tobi]

This sounds like very good news for animals.
As JFK is a major airport for traffic in and out of the States, then this sounds not only a great idea, but prudent. There must be a great deal of livestock and animal traffic in and out of the USA. Any improvements in conditions and welfare would be welcomed.
It is so good to see animal welfare during travel taken very seriously.

I am glad to see what they are doing at Logan airport as well. It is so positive, and will not only lessen stress on the animals in transit but lessen worry for the animals' caretakers as well. (I would have been in a very nervous state if I'd had to transport Misty by air as I would have constantly been aware how upset she was -and out of sight.)
I like that dog! He/she is a good actor!

But wouldn't it be nice if they could accompany us on the flight? In the UK on trains, when I used to use them, there were no restrictions about having your dog with you. Wouldn't it be great if it were the same on aircraft? After all, they allow small toddlers on board! And they can easily be more troublesome than some dogs.
(Okay .....that might result in mayhem sometimes if eight dogs and five cats were on board in the same area at the same time....but wouldn't it be nice...?)

[Catherine]

I wish our pets could go with us on flights. The same for trains and buses, I would want my pet with me. I am sure they could find a way if they thought about it.

Logan Airport is impressive in its training and its equipment. They are prepared for any animal emergency. The dog was a real star. He was so good about everything.

What is noticeable is the fact that there is emergency equipment for animals. Somewhere it is being manufactured and sold. That means lots of places can deal with animal emergencies. I think it is all part of a shift towards caring about animals.

[Cibach]

These centres are great. Heathrow airport has had an animal reception centre for more than 30 years. All animals passing through the airport must pass through the centre where they are uncrated, checked over and if the crate etc is not up to standard they are given an appropriate one. All animals in transit are kept in light airy enclosures and given all they may require until it's time for their onward journey.
There was a TV series about it some time ago. and I found it fascinating.

[Catherine]

I am glad to hear about Heathrow. Travel is hard on animals. If Airports can make things safer and more comfortable then we are making progress in caring for animals.

Heathrow was way ahead of its time.

[Cibach]

(02-03-2015, 03:21 PM)Catherine Wrote: Heathrow was way ahead of its time.

I think having the centre at Heathrow for so long stems from us having such stringent quarantine laws in the past. All animals (except race horses for which there were different rules) had to spend 6 months in quarantine before being allowed in to the country. Now we have Pet Passports which I believe are documents indicating that the animal is appropriately vaccinated and checked.
The quarantine laws were very harsh but they did keep the UK free from rabies and the like.
It seems as though the pet passports are doing as good a job, so far, and are much more pet friendly.

[Catherine]

I forgot about your strict quarantine laws. You were right to have them. Quarantine is still the best way to stop the spread of disease. Vaccination prevents outbreaks, but quarantine prevents spreading.

If the extreme caution caused the building of a proper animal terminal then that is another good to come from it.

I hadn't heard about pet passports, but they seem like a good idea. A well vaccinated animal in good health should be able to travel.

I know the quarantine kept rabies out, but did it also keep out Feline Leukemia?

[Cibach]

As far as feline leukaemia is concerned I'm not sure. I do know that cat owners can vaccinated against it so that tends to suggest not, but that may just be since the pet passports have come in.

[Catherine]

The Feline Leukemia spread in Canada/USA in the mid 1970s. Great Britain's long quarantine might have been enough protection although it was slow to develop.
There is a vaccine now, but it devastated the cat breeders who had multiple cats and who did their own vaccinations for distemper(using the needles multiple times because it was considered safe).

I like the pet passport idea. A well cared for animal should not need a long stay in a quarantine facility. We have vaccines for so many things now so things should be safe.

We have a measles outbreak in Toronto, part of a larger outbreak. Parents are refusing to vaccinate and that puts babies too young to be vaccinated at risk.
I hope pet owners don't get the same idea. It would be sad to go back to the days when so many animals died.