# Pet shipping



## ibrahimtamerm

I wanted to share my recent experience trying to transport my dog from Cairo to Washington DC. 

First of all - keep away from Egypt Air. They are the typical government civil servant outfit you are all aware of if you have spent 3 days in Egypt. It is like going to the Mogamma downtown. They are scam artists who have absolutely no accountability. 

Then there's Martin Cargo. These people are who Lufthansa will tell you to work with. DO NOT. These people are supposed to be expeditors. But apparently they do not know what the word "expedite" means. While the resident airport vet was at his mechanic getting his car fixed (yes - in the middle of his shift) Martin Cargo representatives did absolutely nothing for my spouse. 

Then - we waited for another four hours for Martin Cargo to do their job. They failed and our deadline for boarding our pet passed. 

I will follow up when we get Jessie out of Egypt once and for all. But so far - neither Egypt Air nor Lufthansa and their henchmen at Martin Cargo are by any standard (even Egyptian standards) an option.


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## Whitedesert

ibrahimtamerm said:


> I wanted to share my recent experience trying to transport my dog from Cairo to Washington DC.
> 
> First of all - keep away from Egypt Air. They are the typical government civil servant outfit you are all aware of if you have spent 3 days in Egypt. It is like going to the Mogamma downtown. They are scam artists who have absolutely no accountability.
> 
> Then there's Martin Cargo. These people are who Lufthansa will tell you to work with. DO NOT. These people are supposed to be expeditors. But apparently they do not know what the word "expedite" means. While the resident airport vet was at his mechanic getting his car fixed (yes - in the middle of his shift) Martin Cargo representatives did absolutely nothing for my spouse.
> 
> Then - we waited for another four hours for Martin Cargo to do their job. They failed and our deadline for boarding our pet passed.
> 
> I will follow up when we get Jessie out of Egypt once and for all. But so far - neither Egypt Air nor Lufthansa and their henchmen at Martin Cargo are by any standard (even Egyptian standards) an option.


 I am afraid to say it does not work too well the other way too. On arrival in Egypt i spend one whole day at the EgyptAir Cargo place trying to get our Jack Rusell into the country. After having stood in maybe 10 lines, some more than once, and landing up with enough paper to line the wall of a big bedroom, all with stamps on them, and about 600Le less in my pocket, I finally gave up, lost my cool and told the guy at the counter "congratualtions, you are now the proud owner of a Jack Russell, hope you enjoy him", and started leaving. The guy with me translated, and as I reached the gate one of the cargo employees rushed out with our dog...was one solution I guess, but maybe not the best....good luck with this! I know how you feel


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## canuck2010

We have transported pets in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and twice in Egypt...all with KLM. They are the best in the world for transporting animals. Also, if the pet is small enough, you can bring them in the airplane. One advantage of bringing the pet in the cabin with you is that you know it won't get lost, the last time on arrival in Cairo we walked right through immigration and no one even noticed we had an animal.


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## MirabotZ

Hello again all,

I feel your pain, and have taken a forewarning from another forum. I will NOT have a member of my 'family' mistreated, and put at such risk. We had to put our much loved friend to sleep within the last year, and my wife is still heartbroken. I would not want to have some ill befall another boxer or mastiff just because the two-legged members of the 'pack' had to go overseas. (I have sanitized the post to remove names and organizational references - sorry if it is somewhat choppy)


ABC article on the dangers of flying with pets Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:23 am 

Should Fido Fly? You May Not Like the Answer By BROWN | Good Morning America


On the heels of two pet death incidents â€“ both on United Airlines â€“ it may be time to reconsider taking your pet along on the next family vacation.

Jarboe's dog, a two-year-old Neapolitan mastiff named Bam Bam, died on a cross-country United Airlines flight last month. 
And earlier this month, cover model Maggie drew national attention to the issue of pets on planes with her blog post, "United Airlines Killed Our Golden Retriever."

And the Department of Transportation is considering new rules for airlines when it comes to transporting pets. Today is the last day the DOT is hearing public comment on the issue.

There are three major changes proposed. First, the new rules would 
expand the reporting requirement to U.S. carriers that operate 
scheduled service with at least one aircraft with a design capacity of 
more than 60 seats. Currently, only 15 airlines report animal losses, 
injuries and deaths.

Second, the rules would also expand the definition of "animal'' to 
include all cats and dogs transported by the carriers, regardless of 
whether 
the cat or dog is transported as a pet by its owner or as part of a 
commercial shipment, such as a breeder.

According to the Humane Society of the United States,
currently only owned pets are reported on. So if a breeder is 
transporting a cat or dog that dies, it does not have to be reported.

Third, the new rule would require carriers to provide annually the total
number of animals that were lost, injured, or died during air 
transport for the calendar year. This would include exotic animals being
transported between zoos.

Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care
issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told ABC News the 
organization fully supports these new measures. "Right now, it's still a
bit of a mystery," she said, referring to the current regulations on 
airlines transporting pets. "We would like to see on those numbers. If 
the public had access to full spectrum of info they would be a lot 
smarter if they decide to fly their pet."

"There's a common misconception that if you put your pet in the cargo 
hold it will be treated like a passenger, but that's not what's playing 
out in reality," she said. Since each airline individually sets the 
standard for transport, it's unclear what the temperature control and 
air pressure control will be. "They're [the animals] packed in with the 
suitcases and what we've heard is that the suitcases are packed around 
them to help stabilize the crate, so it's unclear how much air the 
animal is getting."

While the organization welcomes more regulation, they advise against 
flying with your pet. "Air travel is a risk to your pet's health and 
well being," she said. "Our goal is to promote the health and well being
of animals and these two things are not compatible."

Flying with your pet, she said, should be a last resort when there is no other option. They're far better off, she said, with a pet sitter or in a kennel than on a plane.

Some pets are better suited to flying than others. Brachycephalic -- or
smush nose -- dogs and cats such as bulldogs, Persian cats, pugs and 
mastiffs have more trouble breathing than other breeds and therefore may
not be able to regulate their body temperature well. These animals 
should "never fly, period," Theisen said. "End of sentence."

In a statement to ABC News, United Airlines said, "We have been in 
contact with Mr. Jarboe and are saddened by the loss of his dog, Bam 
Bam. The safety of the animals we transport is always considered first 
and foremost when making decisions regarding their routing and 
carriage."

At the time of the death of Maggie's dog, the airline said, "We 
understand that the loss of a beloved pet is difficult and express our 
condolences to ...... and her family for their loss. After careful 
review, we found there were no mechanical or operational issues with 
Bea's flight and also determined she was in a temperature-controlled 
environment for her entire journey. We would like to finalize the review
but are unable until we receive a copy of the necropsy."

This report, of course, is not good news for pet owners. Obviously, it is painful to lose a pet under any condition. I was told as early as a decade ago by some U.S. airline officials that many airlines were considering getting totally out of the pet shipping business because the more onerous the pet reporting requirements become, the pet shipping process simply becomes a burden and financially impractical.


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## canuck2010

All I know is that KLM are specialists when it comes to transporting pets, they even have a pet hotel in Amsterdam airport. If the pet is going under plane, you can get the Stuardess to confirm the animal is on board before takeoff. The biggest danger is heatstroke while getting to/ from the airplane due to the desert weather. By far, the best option is to bring the pet in the plane with you if they are small enough.


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