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So, we’ve left Hawaii and made it to our first stop safely.  One important task we had to do before leaving the island was to ship Carlos.  When you do an OCONUS (overseas PCS.  Yes, Hawaii is in the US, but it’s considered an overseas move for the military) PCS you must ship your pets to your next duty station.  And the only option you have is shipping your pet by air.  And we did just that by using Delta Cargo.

During the winter months, you must ensure it’s not too cold.  Summer PCS you must ensure it’s not too hot.  Now, I won’t lie.  I didn’t think about the heat leaving in June.  In my mind, Carlos would fly out on the same flight as us.  However, that wasn’t the case.  Carlos is a Maltese and would’ve fit under the seat as a pet in cabin.  But we didn’t want to do that.  We enjoy NOT having to worry about him wanting to say hello to everyone on the plane and barking to ensure everyone sees him.  He’s a social butterfly for sure.

We decided to ship via Delta Cargo.  After contacting the airline, they recommended getting Carlos out of Hawaii before June.  I immediately hung up and made a call to a couple of vets in the area to schedule an appointment for a Health Certificate appointment.

Entering the USA mainland with pets is much easier than traveling with pets to Hawaii or out of the country. There’s no quarantine or additional procedures as it was to get him to Hawaii.

It’s best to take your pet to your established veterinarian. However, we did not have one established.  We were only in Hawaii for about 1.5 years, and yes, at this point I realized we were six months past due for his annual checkup.

Pet Vet was able to see him and ensure he was healthy to fly.  We already had an airline approved crate, so we were good to go.  Ensure you grab the metal fastener nut bolts.  On our way to Hawaii, the airline required the metal bolts vs. the original ones with the crate.

Besides scheduling a vet appointment to have Carlos receive a 10-day health certificate (must fly within ten days of checkup), updated rabies shot (I also ensured all of his shots were up to date), airline approved crate, and pet reservation he was good to go.  We dropped him off at Delta Cargo 2 hours before his flight and off he went.  Tape a small bag of food to the crate and attach a dish of frozen water to the crate door.

As the weather warms up, it may become harder with shipping your pet by air.  Check with your airline, check the weather forecast.  You want to make sure your lovely pet will be ok as they transfer him/her on the tarmac from one plane to another.

Was I a nervous doggy mama?  Yes indeed.  I was shaking like a leaf at the counter and watched his flight online via the flight tracker until his grandparents contacted me from Mississippi saying they had him.

And boy oh boy.  That’s another story within itself.  We have some retraining to do for sure.

Have you ever shipped your pet by air?  How was your experience?  

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This post is NOT sponsored.  I wanted to share a little story about our PCS adventure.  So, continue to read and learn more about our moving adventures.

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