Pl anning a s ummer holi day with your pets
SUMMER is just around the corner, and many people have already booked flights and/ or accommodation for their annual family summer holiday.
But have they also booked the appropriate arrangements for their pets? If not, it’s important to do that now.
Pet related services are busy in the summer months.. From boarding kennels to pet travel specialists to pet-friendly accommodation to other holiday-related pet activities, there are many ways that pets need to be looked after at holiday times. To avail of the widest range of options and the best value, it’s best to make plans and bookings several months ahead.
As well as travel within Ireland, with the ease of acquiring a European Pet Passport, it has never been easier with an animal to travel to the UK and Europe. However you do need to ensure that you have the paperwork up to date: if in doubt, have a quick conversation with your local vet about this. At the same time, check to see if there are special health concerns that might affect your pet (e.g. in the warmer areas of southern Europe, you need to use regular anti-parasite products to protect your pet against local diseases such as Heartworm and Leishmaniasis).
While it’s sometimes easy to make your own travel arrangements, there are occasions where there’s a need to engage with a pet travel specialist. As an example, I know someone living in the UK who planned to fly her two pet cats back to Ireland for a two week visit with her family. She discovered that the only way to do this with most airlines is to engage fully with a pet travel company, which added a significant price tag to her plans, as well as depending on their availability to help her. She ended up deciding to travel by car and ferry, as the logistics are far easier, and she can do this on her own, without outside professional assistance, making it far more affordable. The ferry companies are now far more pet-aware than in the past, but even then, dedicated facilities (such as pet-friendly cabins and lounges) often have limited spaces, so she has booked her tickets well in advance, so prevent any hitches.
If you plan to travel further afield (such as to North America) with your pets, then there may be other complications to consider. You can’t just assume that you can bring animals with you: detailed advance travel plans need to be put into place.
Pet-friendly accommodation when you reach your destination is a relatively new concept, but it’s a growing area. With many people seeing their pets as “family”, they’re often reluctant to leave them behind when they go on holidays. Many hotels and self-catering accommodation venues do now allow pets, having finally recognised that animals do not necessarily cause any significant issues at all. Often there are simple provisos in place to ensure that all goes well (such as an increased refundable deposit to allow for extra cleaning, if necessary). But spaces are limited, and many places simply refuse to allow pets at all. For this reason, it’s important to plan in advance, to avoid complications at the time.
The same applies to pet related activities: there are many options here too, from stately homes with large grounds to stroll around, to coastal walks, to cafes and parks in city centres. Some places accept pets, and others don’t. It’s easy to find out in advance, and while some people prefer an element of spontaneity during their holiday breaks, if you have a pet, it makes sense to avoid uncertainty by being thoroughly organised. I have friends who have plotted out every hour of every day of their holidays, several months in advance, so that they know, for sure, that they and their animals will be able to enjoy top quality leisure time together. This can seem excessive to some people, but my friends tell me that they enjoy making the future plans, and it’s a pleasant part of the process of anticipating the holiday.
Despite the possibilities of taking your pets with you, most people still prefer the traditional idea of leaving pets at home when you go away.
The standard boarding kennel concept can work well for many pets, but again, advance planning is needed, not just because kennels are very busy in summertime. You need to double check that your pets’ vaccines are up to date, especially for Kennel Cough in dogs. If vaccines have gone out of date, you could be refused entry into boarding kennels at the last minute. Choosing the right kennel is important. Many countries – such as the UK – have strict government-run licensing systems for boarding kennels and catteries, to ensure that high standards are maintained. In Ireland, there’s no such system: anybody can set up a boarding facility, running it in whatever way they see fit. For pet owners who are looking for a benchmark of quality, the Irish Boarding Kennel and Cattery Association is a good option: all members must agree to fulfil the IBKCA Code of Ethics.
Visit www.ibkca.ie for a list of IBKCA kennels and catteries around Ireland.
The internet has brought other interesting options for having your pets minded when you are away, with pet sitter websites such as petsittersireland.com, Trustedhousesitters.com and gudog.ie.
If you want your pets to enjoy their summer holidays as much as yourself, it’s time to get planning now.