A dog’s life in the hold

Gatwick’s animal reception is the departure lounge for thousands of creatures every year, discovers

Daisy has just flown in from Orlando. She’s been away on a fortnight’s holiday to the Sunshine State. As anyone would after such a long break, she looks relaxed. But according to her documentation she’s not just relaxed but also “very cute”. That’s because Daisy is not a human holidaymaker, but a chihuahua, and is currently waiting to be picked up by her owner at Gatwick’s animal handling centre.

The note on the record pinned to her cage door was written by handlers and is used to inform other staff of an animal’s name, temperament and destination origin, among other things. In the next cage over, Sparky the dachshund is waiting to board his flight to Barbados. Reggie the pug, a regular at the centre, is Dubai-bound.

Last year, the London airport’s Animal Reception Centre, set away from the main terminals in among the long-stay car parks and various cargo firms, saw 2,829 dogs through its doors. In addition to the pooches, Gatwick handled nearly 1,000 cats, 34 shipments of birds, 35 boxes of reptiles, 2,654 cases of tropical fish, 1,011 boxes of chicks and 15 “small mammals”, such as rabbits.

The aviation industry’s answer to Noah’s Ark has also acted as a departure lounge for a sloth, a tree kangaroo, lemurs, falcons and a pygmy slow loris, not to mention Lewis Hamilton’s bulldog, Geri Halliwell’s shih tzu and Roman Abramovich’s corgi.

On a winter Tuesday, the centre is quiet, but for the aforementioned pooches and a cat called Spooky, who looks keen to get home after flying in from Dubai. Fear not, however, Spooky’s records reassure that he’s “OK”. The West Sussex centre (Heathrow has one, too) plays the role of check-in desk for animals. Travellers deposit their pet at the centre – either personally or via an agent – then return to the airport to await their flight. The majority of travellers will then board the same plane as their pets, with their furry companions loaded in the cargo hold last ahead of take-off. The animals cannot be checked during the flight so the next human face they see will be on arrival.

Clare Beadle, who has worked at the centre for eight years, reassures owners that pets are not in with the suitcases but have a separate, secure and heated section in the hold of the plane – and that cats and dogs would not be placed facing each other. “I think most of them just have a good sleep,” she said, adding that when dogs fly it’s usually for a holiday, but with cats it tends to be moving house.

Beadle’s main job involves ensuring the animals are safe, comfortable and fed before flying, before allowing them a chance to stretch their legs, relax – and more often than not relieve themselves – on arrival. The majority of major airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Emirates, allow pet travel in the hold, with fees varying according to animal, breed, size and weight. A small dog might cost about £100 each way. According to government rules, all animals must be microchipped, have a pet passport or third country official veterinary certificate and be vaccinated against rabies. Any pets that do not meet these requirements face a four-month quarantine. For what it’s worth, you are not allowed to bring more than five pets into the UK – unless it’s for a show.

Some airlines, including Air France, United and Air Canada, allow small cats and dogs in the cabin, though they have to be small enough for their carrier to fit under the seat in front. So no Great Danes. In general, however, very few animals are permitted in the cabin, except guide dogs. A few notable exceptions include the Gulf carriers that permit falcons in the cabin (including one instance when a Saudi prince booked tickets for 80 of the birds of prey), and one occasion that called Clare Beadle into action.

“A tarantula got loose on the plane, so when it landed I was told to go in and get it,” she says, shuddering.

But any downsides to the job are forgotten when Beadle is able to witness reunions between pets and owners. What’s perhaps more heartwrenching is that some animals are left with a note attached to their carrier, written by their owner’s children and asking the pilot of the plane to look after their best friend. “It can be quite moving,” she says.

Hugh Morris

Claire Beadle pictured with Casey, a Greek mountain dog