UNDERSTANDING THE LOSS OF YOUR PET

The relationship that we form with animals is unique. The loss of an animal can have an impact on you that are as great as or even greater than the loss of a family member or friend. This bond is what makes our relations with animals rich and pleasing, but also what makes the grief process so difficult.

After your animal has died or been lost, it is natural and normal to feel grief and sadness. Although grief is an internal and private reaction, there are certain stages of grief that nearly everyone experience. By accepting the process, you will be better prepared to manage your pain and to help other family members who share your sense of loss.
There are many stages of grief, but not everyone experiences them all or in the same order. You may experience rejection, rage, guilt, despair, acceptance, and resolution.

• Your first reaction may be denial that the animal has died or that death is coming up. Denial may begin when you first learn the seriousness of your animal's illness or injuries. Frequently, the more abrupt the death, the more difficult the loss is to accept.
• Anger and guilt often follow denial. Your anger may be aimed at people you usually love and respect, including your family and your veterinarian. People coping with death will often say things that they do not really mean, maybe hurting those whom they do not mean to hurt. You may feel guilty for not doing something sooner, for not being able to afford other types of or further treatment, or for being careless and allowing the animal to be injured.
• Depression is also part of the variety of emotions experienced after the death of a special animal. The tears pour, there are knots in your stomach, and you feel weak of all your energy. Day-to-day tasks can seem impossible to achieve. Sometimes you may even ask yourself if you can go on without the animal. The answer is yes, but there are times when special assistance may be helpful in dealing with your loss.
• Ultimately, you will come to terms with your feelings. You can begin to resolve and accept your animal's death. Even when you have reached resolution and acceptance, feelings of anger, denial, guilt, and depression may reappear. If this does happen, these feelings will usually be less intense, and with time will be replaced with loving memories.

Although the stages of grief apply fairly universally, grieving is always a personal process. Some people take longer than others to come to terms with denial, anger, guilt, and depression, and each loss is different. If you understand that these are normal reactions, you will be better prepared to cope with your feelings and to help others face theirs. Family and friends should be reassured that sorrow and grief are normal and natural responses to death.

Sometimes family and friends may not realize how important your animal was to you or the intensity of your grief. Comments they make may seem nasty and insensible. Be sincere with yourself and others about how you feel. If hopelessness mounts, talk to someone who will listen to your feelings about the loss of your animal. Talk about your sorrow, but also about the fun times you and the animal spent together, the activities you enjoyed, and the memories that are meaningful.

If you or a family member have great difficulty in accepting your animal's death and cannot resolve feelings of grief and sorrow, you may want to discuss these feelings with a person who is trained to understand the grieving process. Your veterinarian certainly understands the relationship you have lost and may be able to suggest support groups and hot lines, grief counselors, clergymen, social workers, physicians, or psychologists who can help.

The death of an animal can upset you emotionally, especially when euthanasia is involved. Some people may feel they would never want another animal. For others, a new animal may help them recover from their loss more quickly. Just as grief is a personal experience, the decision of when, if ever, to bring a new animal into your life is a personal one. If a family member is having difficulty accepting the animal's death, getting a new animal before that person has resolved his or her grief may imply that the life of the deceased animal was unworthy of the grief that is still being felt. Family members should agree on the suitable time to get a new animal. Although you can never replace the animal you lost, you can obtain another to share your life.

The time from birth to old age is much shorter for most domestic animals than for people. Death is part of the lifecycle. It cannot be avoided, but understanding and compassion can help you, your family, and your friends manage the grief associated with it. Try to remember and treasure the good times you spent with your animal. You may also wish to establish a memorial of some type or contribute to a charity in honor of your animal.

In memory of Blitz and Hanni Glass
We love you Diana and Steven

LILIANA CROCIATI DE SZASZAK - BUENOS AIRES RECOLETA CEMETERY

Liliana Crociati died at age 20 while on her honeymoon in Insbruch, Austria. That same day, also died Sabu, his beloved dog.

To My Daughter
Alone I ask myself, why
You are gone and my heart
Which only wanted you
Is destroyed, why?
Why? Only destiny knows,
Why, I ask myself, why?
It is signed ''Your papa.''

DOGS IN BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires, Argentina is, like many other cities in a world, a city that is full of dogs always eager to take a stroll and to play. This is why five days a week, while their owners are at work the "Pasea Perros" (Dog Walker) goes to work, something very characteristic of this city.

The Dog Walker has, as its name implies, the job of walking the "man's best friend." It is a job with a large responsibility; pets in Buenos Aires are considered an important part of the family.

On the streets of Buenos Aires you will see the average Dog Walker taking care of around 10 dogs at a time, that's 40 paws that they have to keep track of at all times. Usually they walk calmly with their herd, a common site for the inhabitants of Buenos Aires, but something that never ceases to amaze North American and European tourists visiting the city, who photograph them repeatedly.

The leader of the picturesque herd maintains the dogs calm, constantly rearranging the leaches to avoid tangling, and, most importantly, the fights. Fights are, of course, punished by the Walker, separating the rowdy dogs from the rest and leaving them to cool down in what the dog walkers refer to as the "The Safe Zone," an area reserved exclusively for the canines that pick fights. The dogs causing problems are kept separated from the rest until the cool down, usually tied to a tree away from the rest of the group. None the less, their main concern is to keep the doggies happy and giving them the chance to interact with others of their own, also giving the dog walkers to get together and talk, sharing their knowledge on dogs psychology.

Saudi Arabia: Travel with your dog

Saudi Arabia has recently changed some of its rules regarding importing pets into the Kingdom.

Here are the up-to-date requirements for importing a pet to Saudi Arabia.
There are currently no quarantine requirements.

You will be required to:


Have an International Veterinary Health Certificate and a Rabies Certificate endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or your local authority, if not coming from the US.

• Get these documents along with a letter addressed to the Director of Customs, Saudi Arabia legalized by the Saudi Consulate along e Saudi Consulate.
• State dogs as ‘Watch Dogs’ in the letter endorsed by the USDA and legalized by the Consulate.
• Have all routinely administered immunizations completed at least 30 days prior to entry.
• Show an original Rabies Certificate along side the Health Certificate to prove that the rabies vaccination was administered no more than six months and at least 30 days prior to entry.
• An import permit from the Saudi Arabia National Authority for the Protection of Wildlife and Development.
• A customs declaration upon arrival.

If you would like to book your pet’s specific relocation with PetsVentura Pet Relocation Solutions, or for further information about our general pet relocation services, please contact us at  EMAIL. One of our dedicated animal relocation agents will follow up with you shortly with a quote tailor-made to your needs.

On Aug, 28th, on a flight from Miami to San Francisco, United airlines killed my 2.5 year old Mastiff, BamBam

The following sad story was publish on Facebook:

On Aug, 28th, '12, on a flight from Miami to San Francisco, United airlines killed my 2.5 year old Mastiff, BamBam. United’s “Pet Safe” program guarantees that your pet will be in an acclimated, a/c equipped cargo facility or Pet Safe van to and from the plane. All other airlines require a Certificate of Acclimation to fly, only United does not because of Pet Safe. On the day we flew, no other airline would have allowed us to fly because of the extreme temperatures in Miami AND in Houston, only United because of their program and their guarantee that pets remain in an air conditioned environment at all times. Cargo facilities, vans to and from the plane, the cargo hold. They broke every promise they made to us.

We had a 3+ hour layover in Houston. Again, we could have flown an airline with a direct flight, but none of them offer the security, or guarantee of constant a/c that United offers. This is of paramount importance for a giant breed such as a Neapolitan Mastiff. After being seated in Houston for the San Francisco leg of our journey, watching out the window for the Pet Safe van, BamBam arrived on an metal closed sided luggage cart, not a van, looking hotter than we had ever seen him. My boy who was used to Miami temperatures. It was 97 in Houston on the tarmac that day. Outraged at the lack of a van and how hot he looked, but assuming he would cool down once inside the plane, and the airplane doors already locked, we watched them load him and we took off to San Francisco. Never, not once did it occur to me that he had been in that condition for close to four hours, since we landed in Houston.

BamBam was dead on arrival. My beautiful baby boy. We were told he must be sent back to Houston for an autopsy, and so began four dreadful weeks of corporate America denying responsibility, non information, ridiculous necropsy interpretations and insulting offers. Eventually United offered us a return of his flight costs, the cost of his necropsy/cremation and travel vouchers.

We have since found out from United employees that at no time in Houston was BamBam ever in a/c. He was removed from the plane, set under the wing on the tarmac until a luggage cart came for him. He was then transferred to a “USDA approved holding area with a cross breeze from open windows and fans” instead of the cargo area with a/c as promised. We have now been told in layovers of under 4 hours, NO animal is taken into the cargo area, only the “holding area.” Something we had never been told or accepted. No van would have been unacceptable, but no cargo area at the hight of summer? Outrageous. After 2+ hours he was put back onto a luggage cart and kept outside for another 40 minutes to travel 4 gates...until we saw him.

He never had a chance. We have now learned that every 9 days a pet dies on a commercial airline. Yet the airline industry holds all the cards. Almost zero regulation, accountability or informing of the public of the actual dangers of airline flight, even though his one way ticket was double my round trip. The airline and law consider him “luggage” and my recourse has been exactly that. In fact, only “pet” deaths are reported, not the hundreds of deaths of commercial animals, breeding pets, livestock, exotics, primates, etc. How can the public not be informed of this?

Unless you are prepared to take the exact same chance with your pet as with your bag, do not fly your pet on a commercial airline. The last words to me beautiful baby boy as I loaded him in the crate at the United cargo terminal, were,...

“Be a good boy, I’ll be back for you, I promise.” For 4 hours in a heat wave, as his body was closing down, as United’s “trained” personnel walked by and ignored his distress, is this what went through his mind? If he was just a good boy I’d be back for him.

United broke every single promise they made to us. They killed my baby boy and tried to buy me off with travel vouchers and a complete denial of any responsibility on their part.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200795683403132&set=o.1404915649744773&type=1

PetsVentura comments and advices for all travelers with their pets:

This issue of animal transportation is not an easy one, and for sure not economic at all. The organization that sets the standard is IATA  (www.iata.org) and you can read on their website their section on LIVE ANIMALS REGULATION (LAR) www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live-animals/Pages/index.aspx. Every airline must follow these regulations, but they also have their own policies, and airplane fleet, which differ from one company to another.  In addition, each country has their own rules and standards regarding their concerns on handling travel with animals.  

All airlines follow the same kind of type, size and setup of travel kennels -- see paragraph “Do you have a suitable container for your pet?”  www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live-animals/pets/Pages/index.aspx. However, some airlines are stricter than others are in terms of size and setup.

Weather conditions – Temperature restrictions have been established by some airlines to ensure animals are not exposed to extreme heat or cold in the animal holding areas, terminal facilities, when moving the animals between terminal and aircraft, or on an aircraft awaiting departure. Pets will not be accepted by some airlines when the current or forecasted temperature at the arrival or departure airport is above 84F (29C) at either location on the itinerary (75 degrees for snub-nosed dogs and snub-nosed cats).

Medical condition – Each country has its own entry and exit rules regarding medical condition of a traveling animal. Travel documents must meet these unique requirements. 

Cost of travel – When it comes to travelling by air, there are three common ways: in-cabin, as checked luggage, or as manifest cargo. Each airline has its own rules on which animal can use any of these options, and once again, it is not so simple. It depends on the route, or if the airplane is too small to accommodate big dogs, or it is not suitable for carrying animals in certain conditions. Some countries will enforce using cargo flights (i.e. Australia, New Zealand and a few others). Some countries require have medical and importation requirements (i.e. the process of entry to Australia can take 5-6 and the cost is not cheap).  

Each country, airport and airline have an edition set of fees, which obviously differ greatly,. i.e. When you fly a cat from England to Argentina by British Airways, you will pay for a ticket in England and at the EZE airport; their office will charge you an extra processing fee to receive your animal from them.  You might ask why should you pay extra after all you paid for the ticket in London, right? On top of this, you have to pay the government agriculture office fees, customs, etc. In case of flying a pet in cabin or as access luggage, the process is relatively simple and economic. When using cargo flight the process is very different and very costly. In some countries, the passenger can handle the entire process of buying tickets, pay taxes and receive the animal. Nevertheless, in some other case the airline, airport or the country will enforce dealing ONLY with a custom broker or pet shipper who is a member of IPATA (www.ipata.org). Should you need a broker, there will be an extra layer of cost.   

Until this point, I have tried to explain--while simplifying-- the complicity of basic rules and conditions involved in shipping an animal by air.

My experience working in preparing and shipping animals for the last 30 years bring some addition recommendations:

• Have an extra medical examination by a veterinarian to make sure your animal is healthy to fly. The common physical examination to obtain the International Health Certificate is very superficial   
• Make sure that your pet can handle the emotional stress of being in a kennel for so many hours (sometimes a pet can spend over 24 hours locked in with no possibility of getting out even to relieve himself or have a meal)
• I recommend scheduling a direct flight when possible no matter the cost!!! If you have layovers for 2-4 hours and change flights, I will recommend to you if possible taking a break at that airport and waiting for the next day flight. Again, this not always possible but if we take animal into consideration, it is highly recommended.
• NEVER, NEVER fly under extreme weather conditions (too hot or too cold). 
• Never fly during holidays, weekends
• Kennels – They rules of the hardware are clear as set by IATA (heavy plastic, wood or metal, no wheels). I cannot recommend one brand over the other. Make sure you read IATA and airline guidelines very carefully. 
• Preparing your pet to accept the kennel in which they will travel is very important. Teach your pet get used to the kennel weeks or months in advance before traveling
•  I recommend my clients to get a larger kennel (above the minimum requirements) to assure a comfortable area to lie down, turn around and move (i.e. if your pet requires a kennel size 500, I would suggest to have the next size up!!). Obviously the cost of a larger size is higher and the cost of ticket will be higher as well, but if you care for the well-being of your pet this will make a huge different in the quality of an already stressful journey. 
• Cost- If you cannot afford it, do not put your pet at risk, just as you would not do it with young children. 
• Airlines and airports – Some are better than others! Some of the best airlines to fly with animals are British Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, KLM Airlines, Air France, LAN Airlines, and few more. Some airports set special high quality areas for animals such as Frankfurt Airport, London International Airport and a few others. Get educated about the facilities where you pet might have a layover.

To conclude this short note, I would ask each pet lover to make their pet their top priority when they travel. Their life depends on your smart decisions. Think and act on their best interest. Educate yourself, read the small print of any related travel contracts, weather conditions, medical conditions, type of airplane and airport your pet will pass through, make sure your pet’s mental state is fit for the flight and all the pre and post flight. 

Recommendation from PetsVentura to our clients: There are many companies, travel providers, and each one of us as a pet owner (moms and dads) has an obligation to choose the best and most trusted travel providers. 

 If your suspect your pet has any issue before or during the flight – YES, handle additional cost or inconvenience by cancelling or changing your flight arrangements. The life of your pets are in your hands!!!

For your information, please find below an up-to date Airline Animal Incident Report:

www.thirdamendment.com/animals.html

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www.facebook.com/pet.relocation.solutions

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