Airline Travel is Safer for Pets then Automobiles

Jan. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Numbers show that airline travel is safer for pets than traveling in an automobile.

Pets in Vehicles: Thousands of pets die in hot cars each year, 100,000 dogs and cats are injured, killed or become unnecessarily lost in car accidents, and another 100,000 dogs die from riding in truck beds each year.

Pets that Fly: In 2011, a total of 35 pets died on U.S. airline carriers. Recently Air Cargo World reported that less than 0.01 percent of pets that fly have an incident (lost, injured or killed). Millions of animals fly every year.

“When a pet is lost or dies on an airplane, it is immediate news,” says Sally Smith, past president for the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA). “But we never see stories in the media about the hundreds of thousands of pets that die on our nation’s highways. Because of this, the public believes that air travel is unsafe for animals. But the numbers speak for themselves. Air travel is the safest and most humane mode of travel for our furry friends.”

IPATA, the non-profit organization dedicated to the care and welfare of pets and animals during transport, supports air travel for pets through commercial airlines cargo systems as being the safest, most expedient and humane means of moving animals throughout the United States and around the world.

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day, a campaign started (not affiliated with IPATA) to highlight the dangers of unsecured pets in vehicles and to educate the public about how to make vehicle travel safer for people and the pets they love.

About IPATA

The International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, Inc. (IPATA) is a non-profit, worldwide trade association for animal handlers, pet moving providers, kennel operators, veterinarians and others who are dedicated to the care and welfare of pets and animals during transport. The organization was founded in 1979. It began with six founding members and now has more than 350 members in over 70 countries. IPATA serves its members, the pet transport industry, and the public at large. For more information, or to find a professional pet shipper, visit www.ipata.org.