Once Alvin the Bichon Cockapoo was officially purchased, he needed a ride from Missouri to CT. I considered driving halfway across the country to pick him up and then decided against it. In retrospect, I should have made the trip.
If I did the driving, I would have seen the kennel conditions and asked a lot more questions about the puppies' health.
If I drove the pup back home, I would have spared the dog the trauma of being closed up in the cargo bay of a commercial plane (with the luggage) for 7 hours. Yes, there was food and drink provided, but the breeder put it in the carrier at about 6:00 am. The plane arrived at Bradley at 3:00 pm. The food was gone and the water looked very murky. Alvin required coaxing to get him out of the carrier. The Labradoodle who made the trip with Alvin (in a B I G carrier) smelled awful.
After this experience, I do not understood how anyone would transport a pet on a plane. Hey, buy the animal a plane seat. At least maybe the flight personnel might make sure he/she has clean water. I realize that walking the dog is out of the question and barking might disturb the other passengers, but it's much kinder than letting the animal commune with the luggage at very high or low temperatures for what must seem like an endless trip.
Lesson learned the hard way. Hey, I'm making up for this mistake every day. We treat him like royalty and call him Prince Alvin or His Cuteness.
Here's a recent picture of the Prince romping in his playpen:
If I did the driving, I would have seen the kennel conditions and asked a lot more questions about the puppies' health.
If I drove the pup back home, I would have spared the dog the trauma of being closed up in the cargo bay of a commercial plane (with the luggage) for 7 hours. Yes, there was food and drink provided, but the breeder put it in the carrier at about 6:00 am. The plane arrived at Bradley at 3:00 pm. The food was gone and the water looked very murky. Alvin required coaxing to get him out of the carrier. The Labradoodle who made the trip with Alvin (in a B I G carrier) smelled awful.
After this experience, I do not understood how anyone would transport a pet on a plane. Hey, buy the animal a plane seat. At least maybe the flight personnel might make sure he/she has clean water. I realize that walking the dog is out of the question and barking might disturb the other passengers, but it's much kinder than letting the animal commune with the luggage at very high or low temperatures for what must seem like an endless trip.
Lesson learned the hard way. Hey, I'm making up for this mistake every day. We treat him like royalty and call him Prince Alvin or His Cuteness.
Here's a recent picture of the Prince romping in his playpen:
