DCIN's Transporter Signup Information
DCIN's Ground Transport Instructions
DCIN's Instructions for Flying a Cat in the Cabin
DCIN’s United Cargo Transport Instructions
DCIN transports between fifteen and twenty-five diabetic cats a year to foster or adoptive homes. There are special considerations for transporting a diabetic cat. Among the lessons we have learned is that a quick transport is a better transport for a diabetic cat, especially one that is insulin dependent. The stress of a long road transport, especially ones that include multiple hand-offs or overnight or week-long fostering in-route, can be detrimental to a diabetic cat's health because stress causes a cat elevated blood glucose levels. Also, cats cannot be given insulin while en-route because they are not eating well, so a quick transport will get the cat back onto insulin therapy sooner.
DCIN uses the United (FKA Continental) Cargo PetSafe program for nearly all of its long-distance transports. We are very confident that this program is the safest one available for the animals that we fly. We have used the PetSafe program since 2010 and found it to consistently deliver excellent results, and truly care about the safety and well-being of the animals entrusted to them. The animals travel to and from the aircraft in climate-controlled vans. They are the last ones loaded on to the plane, and the first ones taken off. The PetSafe program uses only planes with cargo areas that share environmental conditions with the passenger cabin (temperature and pressure). Animals can fly in almost any weather conditions due to those precautions. The PetSafe program has an easy-to-use tracking system that allows us to check on the animals throughout their journey, and a 24/7 help desk. Two DCIN personnel, the cat's case manager and DCIN's transport manager, actively monitor every DCIN cargo transport.
The PetSafe program has kenneling facilities at its hub airports. The animals are fed and watered during layover. Depending on the length of time before a connecting flight, the program allows or requires animals to be removed from their carriers and placed in kenneling runs where they can exercise and relive themselves. As additional "back-up" to the PetSafe program, DCIN has feline-diabetic experienced caregivers available in each hub airport city should flight delays require an insulin-dependent cat to be taken off the airport property for medication and overnight caregiving.
Video of United/Continental Cargo PetSafe Program
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Links
Pet Adoption Highway--View Pet Adoption Highway in a larger map
Yahoo Groups Search
USDA's US State and Territory Animal Import Regulations
ARF Rescue Flight Planning.
Video for folding down the pop open kennel.
Connecticut Commuter Lots.
