Thread: Wanted - dog/animal flight crates

Will some of these do?



Yeah, I know. Red on the way...

You are a nasty, nasty man Marmers & I'm going to change our Marmite's name...

Now, does anyone have a flight cage that might actually be approved by airlines & animal lovers?

Originally Posted by November Rain

I'm going to change our Marmite's name.

You can't call a dog "Bastard" can you?

Originally Posted by November Rain

You are a nasty, nasty man Marmers & I'm going to change our Marmite's name...

Don't do that, NR. Just let Gorgy and Jet at him.

Originally Posted by November Rain

Now, does anyone have a flight cage that might actually be approved by airlines & animal lovers?

Chatuchak market, Babes. They might even have collapsible ones for easier transport to HH. Also strongly advised for big dog crates: wheels (it's a long way to cargo at the airport). And, ask the adopters if they can cough up the cash for it.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Chatuchak market, Babes. They might even have collapsible ones for easier transport to HH. Also strongly advised for big dog crates: wheels (it's a long way to cargo at the airport). And, ask the adopters if they can cough up the cash for it.

Good advice.

Can anyone advise on whether I should take my golden retreiver to the U.S. next October, on a Northwest airlines flight from BKK to Narita (six hours) to Minneapolis (11.5 hours) to Knasas City (one hour)? Will the dog arrive alive after about a 25 hour trip?

^ Yes, it will arrive alive, providing airline staff give water in the water bottles (& possibly food) at all stops. That's a bloody long flight though. Is there no way of going more directly?

I'm trying to avoid paying for the cages Jettie/Marmers. It's not necessarily new owners we would be sending to (not at first, anyway). I really would prefer to keep costs down, so that's why I'm asking for donations of used crates.

I could go through Taiwan and save 2.5 hours and stop over in L.A. for a day or two but that is about it. There is no easy way to get to the mid-west of U.S. without at least two stops. I'll check with NWA on how they take care of cargo pets.

Originally Posted by Dean

Can anyone advise on whether I should take my golden retreiver to the U.S. next October, on a Northwest airlines flight from BKK to Narita (six hours) to Minneapolis (11.5 hours) to Knasas City (one hour)? Will the dog arrive alive after about a 25 hour trip?

Get a more direct flight or get you ass down to cargo at every stop. He's gotta pee doesn't he? He can hold the poo but not the pee. And, if he pees in cargo, it's gonna freeze. Don't trust anybody. Hey, a friend flew with her cat in cargo to London via Abu Dhabi and the cat ended up in bladdy Moscow.

Adult incontinence pads in the bottom of the flight crate are good for soaking up the pee.

Something else you might want to check, Dean, is whether stops in certain countries make it difficult to get your pet into the US and you might find you aren't allowed to take her out of the cage until she reaches US soil (for health/infection reasons)

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Will some of these do?



Yeah, I know. Red on the way...

Funny but not really nice; I laughed my ass off anyway

Originally Posted by November Rain

Adult incontinence pads in the bottom of the flight crate are good for soaking up the pee.

As long as she doesn't shred them. A few chewy toys in the cage helps, too, apparently.

[/quote]
As long as she doesn't shred them. A few chewy toys in the cage helps, too, apparently.[/quote]

You may wish to enclose a few of your T-shirts, suitably slept in for a few nights; your scent should keep them calmer.

N.R.
I have a 1m x 60cm X60cm ( approx ) cage type thing going spare ( with a "poo" tray underneath ) You are welcome to it if its any use for you.

I flew my dog Hana from Okinawa to Tokyo to Seattle to LA. With a three hour layover in Seattle, I was able to get her out for a walk and a pee.

A year later we flew from LA to Taipei to Bangkok. When we stopped in Taipei I asked if I could give my dog water following the 13 hour flight. "Impossible," the cnuts said. "You may not have access to baggage under any circumstances."

After another 4 hour flight to BKK, the dog was pretty dried out. I doubt if any airline or baggage people gave her water enroute. I wasn't a happy camper. But in the end, she made it. Recommend giving the dog as much water as it'll drink prior to flying.

Sorry NR, can't give up my cage -- and now I have two dogs.

I think this is a long shot NR but Scampy sympathizes with your cause.

Is it possible to borrow or rent them, after all the dog will only fly once won't it?

Unfortunately, not an easy exercise NR, internationally-wise anyway. I worked for QANTAS Cargo for 12 years and spent a lot of that time in livestock (and special cargo) reservations.

The crate must be solid wood and double-wire construction so that it is finger and paw proof. The cage must be high enough for the dog to stand up, long enough for it to lie down comfortably and wide enough for the dog to be able to turn around (except for greyhounds). The cage must be leak-proof and lined with absorbent material (e.g. shredded newspaper) and if the flight is longer than 2 hours, the cage must have watering facilities.

Because of the required dimensions of the cage, the freight charge is based on what they call volumetric weight and is charged at 200% of the under 45kg cargo rate which means that to send a dog internationally is usually far more expensive than it is to send a person.

Cargo space must be booked all the way to ensure only compatible cargo is loaded in the hold with the dog. Things like dry ice and human remains cannot travel with dogs.

Quarantine regulations have to be followed for both ends as well and in some cases (like Australia) the dog can be quarantined for up to 6 months.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

if he pees in cargo, it's gonna freeze

No problem, the rear hold (Hold 5 on a 747) is heated and pressurised the same as the passenger cabin.



Between countries where there is a lot of travel (e.g. Aus - N.Z.) they usually have crates for rent, otherwise you have to buy them and they ARE expensive.

Originally Posted by JoGeAr

The crate must be solid wood and double-wire construction so that it is finger and paw proof. The cage must be leak-proof and lined with absorbent material (e.g. shredded newspaper) and if the flight is longer than 2 hours, the cage must have watering facilities.

Because of the required dimensions of the cage, the freight charge is based on what they call volumetric weight and is charged at 200% of the under 45kg cargo rate which means that to send a dog internationally is usually far more expensive than it is to send a person.

WTF ??!?

China Airlines -- One way from LA to BKK was only $175 for my dog (20 kilos). My ticket was much more than that. The dog cage was less than $100. Made of high-grade plastic -- like all the other dog crates I've seen.

Originally Posted by Texpat

WTF ??!? China Airlines -- One way from LA to BKK was only $175 for my dog (20 kilos). My ticket was much more than that. The dog cage was less than $100. Made of high-grade plastic -- like all the other dog crates I've seen.

Okay, things may have changed since I left the airline 17 years ago. Still, I can't imagine it's changed that much. On all the airlines operating out of Australia at that time, those were the regulations. Just quoting my experience having done the job for a few years.

Cages are usually made of plastic, these days.

Yes, sending as cargo is expensive due to the volumetric weight (something that cargo agents don't tell you - they tell you the cost per kilo, not that the volume of the cage is somehow incorporated into that & it can cost you 3 times as much as you expected. JoGeAr, can you please tell me how the volumetric weight is worked out? It would give me a more accurate idea of costs. I'd be very grateful.
Texpat, your dog probably went as accompanied excess baggage which is much cheaper (I think it's based purely on weight)
BTW, if sending a dog by air you can buy water feeders (like those used for hamster cages but bigger) where the bottle is fixed on the outside of the cage & can be detached & refilled when empty (no risk of tipping either)

Happyman, I'd love your cage, if you don't mind. Even if not suitable for flights, it'll be suitable for isolation cases or the paraplegic dogs. Thanks. Where are you located?

Originally Posted by JoGeAr

Okay, things may have changed since I left the airline 17 years ago. Still, I can't imagine it's changed that much.

well i know for a fact that it cost about $5000 to fly a dog Australia to UK.... 10 years ago.

people were about $1600.

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

I think this is a long shot NR but Scampy sympathizes with your cause.

Is it possible to borrow or rent them, after all the dog will only fly once won't it?

Yes, that's what we did to fly CMN's dog to Chiang Mai. A friend of mine in CM had a suitable cage & sent it to BKK & CMN delivered it back to them when Inzie was safely with him.

Sadly, sending it back to Thailand from the US or Germany (where 4 of our dogs are going) could be almost as much as buying a new cage.

Originally Posted by November Rain

JoGeAr, can you please tell me how the volumetric weight is worked out? It would give me a more accurate idea of costs.

Again this has probably changed. Our formula then was: length x breadth x height divided by 7000 = volumetric weight. One of the Asian airlines (PR I think) used to divide by 5700.