(Image opens Shelbie's photo album at Flick'r)

I was so full of trepidation about the whole process but now Missy Prissy Shelbie is here safe and sound and very happy.

Valerie and Matt took Shelbie to the PDX airport at about 9pm on Friday night and she arrived at LGA a bit after the noon hour on Saturday. A huge thank you goes out to Ross and his mom for helping us retrieve the critter from the airport. Ross drove and his mom graciously let him borrow her vehicle.

At the airport, Billy reached Shelbie first and opened the door to her crate and gave her some scrubs. He reported that she was shaking just a bit but calmed right down when he petted her.

By the time Ross and I reached them about 10 min later, she was completely calm and she stayed very relaxed as we retrieved her and got her into the car. This is very impressive. I'm not sure what Continental Airlines Cargo did for her but I can tell you this: If she had been stressed for hours and hours she would have been shaking for a while even after she was with us and she would have remained a bit high-strung. But, no, she was a cool regal princess right away ... completely in control.

Here's a breakdown on Shipping or traveling with your "big dog" by air.

The Research

The whole experience with Continental Airlines Cargo was great. Originally I chose to begin my "real world" inquiries into the shipping process with Continental Airlines because my online research indicated that they seem to be the airline that is most interested in shipping live animals and in making it an experience that is comfortable for owner and pet. As soon as I placed my first call full of questions, just to prepare for shipping, I knew I was not going to be calling around for pricing!

My first call was to Continental Airline's Cargo reservationists at the Live Animal Help Desk. And then I called several more times to ask questions (that felt a little silly sometimes) before making the final reservation. They were were very knowledgeable and patient to provide the info need for a good cargo trip for Shelbie. They gave me help far beyond the basic info in Continental Airline's Guide to Traveling with Animals. They never made me feel that I was annoying them as I sorted through my options.

The Pet's Health Considerations

I was especially impressed with how carefully Continental's Live Animal Help Desk answered my questions regarding medications and other health concerns. For example, Shelbie occasionally takes an anti-inflammatory for her arthritis. It also has something in it that can make her groggy. Because of that, it's considered a sedative. Sedatives increase risks during flight in the high altitudes -- even though their cargo area is pressurized the same as the passenger area. For this reason sedated animals are refused. If we had given this routine medication to Shelbie, they would have refused her.

Continental Airlines Cargo partners with Horizon Airlines to ship live animals out of PDX. The staff at Horizon's Cargo facility was equally knowledgeable regarding the shipment of pets. They were ... were equally knowledgeable and very helpful And Patient with last minute questions and logistics. They made sure all of the health paper work was in order.

First, there was the Health Certificate issued by Shelbie's veterinarian. It had to dated within 10 days of travel (for both the outbound and return trips). For older dogs, Continental Airlines Cargo also recommended a more extensive vetinary exam that included liver and kidney screening. Shelbie had had both of these recently so we did not repeat them.

Second, Because Shelbie has a habit of chewing on her crate and making her mouth slightly bloody, we requested the necessary paperwork to declare that we would not want her mouth treated for superficial wounds.

For obvious reasons, Continental Airlines Cargo's personnel does not administer medications. That said, if the airline determines your pet is in medical trouble during the shipment, they will obtain necessary treatment for your pet. You, of course, are responsible for the medical bills and any additional kennel bills.

I have to also say that it was very good that my son-in-law, a vet tech, was able to hydrate Shelbie under the skin before shipping. We chose this route because we know that Shelbie refuses to drink or eat when she is stressed. A dehydrated animal can end up with diarrhea ... not pleasant! Check with your vet and the shipping airline regarding this possibility for your pet. Continental Airlines was okay with the procedure since it was not sedating and it did not require them to be involved.

Also, the extra hydration turned out to be a good thing because the mandatory interior food and water dishes were removed by Miss Shelbers during flight (predicted); therefore she was without a method to administer water. (The dishes must be accessible from the exterior of the crate so the pets can be tended without opening the door.)

Obtaining the Shipping Crate (Kennel), etc

We purchased a Petmate Ultra Vari Kennel as a shipping crate from Petco.com that meets Continental Airline's Cargo's requirements and those of the USDA and IATA regulations regarding the size and type of kennel use for shipping live animals. My husband has deemed the crate "The best crate we've ever had." I have to agree it's sturdy with a flat bottom on which Shelbie can easily sleep and it's easy on the eyes.

We also purchased a few other necessities at Petco.com and had it all (including the kennel crate) shipped to Valerie & Matt. This allowed us to take on the expense and effort of obtaining a crate. Plus, by shipping the crate to them about two weeks before Shelbie's flight, we were able to allow her to get accustomed to her new crate.

I think the oddest thing I purchased was Purina secondnature Dog Litter to use as the required absorbent material in the crate. I didn't even know such a thing existed! It worked so well that we weren't aware it had been needed until we were nearly through cleaning out the crate. (The crate, with the litter still in it, rode home with us in the station wagon, and we didn't smell it!)

The Flight

The Continental Airlines Cargo Live Animal Help Desk is open 24 hrs. I did not really perceive the importance of this until Shelbie was actually at the PDX airport. Because the weather was still warm, the recommendation was to ship her in the evening. There were about three other reasons ... including and departure and arrival times ... that caused her overnight flight to be an excellent decision. Once she was in the air, I found myself drawing some measure of comfort from knowing that the Help Desk could be reached at any point.

We were able to use Continental Airlines Cargo's tracking system on the Internet to follow Shelbie from take off to landing – including a flight change in Houston. Usually they ship animals non-stop but there wasn't one from PDX to LGA.

You know, the whole experience was quite blessed!

So, now, Shelbie is making herself at home. Watching diligently out the door for any errant wild animal that might think this is their domain ... never mind they were here first ... totally irrelevant. She's already been in "time out," aka the crate, for chasing a rabbit. Goodness! Nine or ten years old with advancing arthritis and she can still create quite the excitement.

If you think I can answer any of your questions, or point you in a good direction research-wise, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a note via my "Contact Me" link.