Air vs Ground, a Growing Debate: Why Ground Transportation is the Best Choice for your Dog or Cat

It’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare. You kiss your beloved family pet goodbye, put her in a crate, and hand her over to your friendly airline agent. But when you disembark at your intended destination, looking forward to seeing your pet again, your beloved animal is either injured, lost or—worst of all—deceased.

Last year, over 40 pet owners experienced this scenario.  In half of those incidents, a pet died. There were 15 animal injuries and six cases of a pet being mysteriously lost. (Animals are officially deemed “lost” if they’re not found within 15 days.) People ship all kinds of animals on planes, like chimps and iguanas, but the DOT incident report covers only household pets.

The airline industry is telling their customers that they are continuing to find ways to improve their program and provide the best travel experience possible for people and their pets.

The federal regulations are constantly changing and for a transport company to have to keep up with these air transport regulations is virtually impossible. So, you arrive at the airport with what you believe is the proper paperwork and transport items.  When you arrive, you find out that the regulations have changed and your transporter did not inform you because they were not aware either.

Between the costs, the practicalities, and what’s best for your dog, choosing between ground and air transportation can be confusing. Both forms have pros and cons, and the best form of transportation for shipping a dog will depend on you and your pet's needs.  It is your responsibility to choose what is best for your pet.

Air travel may seem convenient and fast. In reality, getting your pet to the airport is usually an added expense, in addition to the airline fees, and a lot of time out of your day to get there and back.  The time spent at the airport waiting in the baggage area and in the airline hold prior to take off and after landing can be longer than normal and can also create added anxiety on your pet because no one is there to reassure her, ensure that she doesn’t need a potty break or food, and generally care for your pet.

Some dogs are simply not eligible for airline travel due to the breed traits, age, illness, aggressiveness, inability to be crated, and other unpredictable issues.

One of the best reasons to transport by ground is that you are able to talk directly with the person who will be handling your pet throughout the entire process.  We offer regular updates during the trip by your method of choice (telephone, email, Facebook message, or text), although not all transporters have these benefits.  In the case of Nitro Pet Express, we also have a multitude of years of experience handling all kinds of domestic animals with great success. We also provide nationwide transport to all of the lower 48 states and our pricing is case by case; not set rates.  If your pet will travel safely without a crate, you have the option of straight through travel with no other pets in the same vehicle.  Our vehicles are clean, roomy, comfortable, and safe.  We offer door to door service and offer appropriate breaks, that include food and water, exercise, bathroom time, and play time. The transportation of all pets are personalized to every pet’s and owner's specific needs and everything is sanitized before and after each pet.

Our Mission:  While your pet is in our care, we strive to treat every animal with gentle compassion, as if they were members of our own families, and to safely transport them to their destination, taking great care to avoid any “bumps in the road”.