Guest Post:
My name is Robbin, and during the middle of the pandemic, I became a dog nanny. I make money flying puppies from the breeder and I hand-deliver them to their new “forever home”.
I’ve never been a big traveler, but Covid hit and I was laid off. My very good friend, Christy over at BonBon Chihuahuas, breeds some of the most adorable chihuahua puppies I’ve ever seen. I never liked chihuahuas, thanks to their terrible reputation as nervous, shaky, angry, nasty dogs. Christy finally had me come over one day and I was shocked at the difference between a poorly socialized chihuahua that I’d always known and a properly socialized chihuahua like she has. I was suddenly a chihuahua fan! Seriously, how cold is your heart when you look at this?!?
Skip forward a few years to 2020. I needed to make some extra money and Christy’s regular puppy transport person had stopped delivering puppies. So, I volunteered. I enjoy the time spent with these crazy cute chihuahua puppies but bringing so much joy to a new family is an amazing feeling.
After that first delivery, I was hooked. I fly as often as I can for her. She prefers to hand-deliver each baby chihuahua to their new family but when she can’t, I’m always there.
Despite the time that puppy pooped just as the plane was taking off and I had to clean up the puppy, bag all the smelly doo all while avoiding the eye of my fellow travelers. Most of the time my experience is wonderful. Who doesn’t love a tiny cute puppy? While on my last flight, I had just sat in my seat and properly tucked the baby’s travel bag under the seat in front of me when over the loudspeaker I heard “would the passenger with the puppies please let us know where you are sitting”. My heart froze. I was so afraid I had done something wrong. Nope. Those lovely flight attendants just wanted to see the babies. The entire plane was full of people who asked questions the rest of the flight.
I mentioned the bag the puppy rides in. OMG. I’ve been through so many bags. I have the classic soft-sided pet travel bag. The classic soft-sided pet travel bag on wheels. The soft-sided pet travel bag with accordion sides and opens larger. The pet travel backpack. The pet travel backpack on wheels. In that order, and you have to make sure they are all airline-approved! The backpack on wheels is my favorite. I love this thing.
Previously I’d bring my dog travel bag AND a small wheeled bag, I wanted to be prepared if I was stuck somewhere overnight. Airlines have changed their carry-on rules in 2021, regarding what you bring when you have a pet. Now your pet IS your carryon and the only other item you can bring is a personal item like a purse or a backpack. That’s when I switched to the backpack carrier on wheels, and I also carry a backpack. It’s the largest personal item they will let me get away with. It’s totally acceptable for your pet bag to be on wheels but if your personal item is on wheels, it’s considered too large and they will make you check it. Don’t ask how I know.
The question most people ask is how much I charge. My cheapest flight is $800, something the location or the date can cause that price to go up to $1200. In addition to my time and the price of the flight, keep in mind that you generally pay an additional $125 per pet you have with you, each way.
I almost exclusively fly American Airlines. Occasionally one of the cheaper airlines can get me home quicker, but I don’t always have the patience to deal with the average clientele flying Spirit Airlines. Keep in mind that you generally pay an additional $125 per pet you have with you, each way.
Hope that I was able to convey a small portion of the excitement I feel each time I fly and learn more about flying with pets. <3